Please Hear What I Am Not Saying
by JavaJuno
Summary: Kakashi has been issued a challenge: Get Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke into a relationship by the end of the semester. All tactics are fair in love and war, and Kakashi isn't above a few tricks. Using a shared class, Kakashi will force the boys to spend time together, and hopefully learn a few things along the way. SasuNaru. AU. Rated M in future chapters.
1. Psychology

**Author's Note :** Hello new readers (or old ones who like re-reading chapters). I am going through and updating the format on all my chapters to make them read a bit easier. I really dislike FF's lack of styling, but what can you do? Gotta work with the tools given. I hope you enjoy the story and continue the journey with us!

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 **Beta's Note :** Hey guys! Welcome all, as AJ has stated new and old who are simply re-reading. We hope you enjoy. Coming from me as a reader not the beta, you should certainly love this story.

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 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse. **  
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 *** Attention ***

 **New Disclaimer for New Readers:**

It has been brought to my attention that some of my scenes/chapters seem a bit non-consensual/coerced. This is not my intentions at all, and I'm sorry to say, but when I reread over my work, I still don't see it as such. So, we're going to take this as a "thank you for pointing it out, but I'm not changing anything". This story is meant to be a realistic portrayal of a relationship between two unwilling partners – unwilling for different reasons, but neither being sexual – and I am not going to write scenes where they romantically and lovingly throw themselves at each other. This is a romance, but it's not a fairy tale. If you cannot handle events depicting arguments within a relationship, hesitancy during sexual relations, slight jealousy over a partner, and other such real events that happen during a relationship, I suggest you stop reading this story and find something else, as it won't be for you. There are plenty of soppy SasuNaru stories on FF, but this will not be one of them.

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

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 **Part I : Discovery**

 **Chapter 1 : Psychology**

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The first day back to class after the winter vacations. Not as lighthearted as the first day back from Summer, but still. The students are still excited and not quite filled with disgust at the idea of learning. That will come tomorrow.

The silver haired teacher warily eyes the door from over the top of his book as the students begin coming into his classroom for 3rd period. He's already gone over the roster and knows what to expect. Which is to say, nothing good. He has Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke together this period. Never a good combination. One doesn't speak much at all, and the other could learn to speak less. In fact, he would pay good money to see Naruto go a whole class period without uttering a single word – and not be taking a nap for any amount of time.

Ah, and in walks the boy in question. He raises an eyebrow and gives a slight shake of his head. That boy never changes. His blonde mop of hair is as untamed as always, the spring in his step is still strong, he didn't manage to gain any weight with holiday dinners, and God did not bless them over winter vacations by removing that hazardous color from Naruto's wardrobe.

"Hi, Kakashi! Did you have a good break?" Naruto tilts his head and throws that 100-watt smile at Kakashi. The man just shakes his head and gives Naruto his signature eye-smile. Though the boy may be loud and brazen, he is very friendly. Which might be his one saving grace. Now, the Uchiha child doesn't have the word "friendly" introduced to his vocabulary.

"Maa, thank you for asking. I did, indeed."

He sees Naruto looking at the cover of his book, and watches in some amusement as he shakes his head in mock disgust. "Those books are horrible, Kakashi. Besides, I'm not even sure they're allowed on school property, being full of smut."

"I think they're quite good, and I'm careful about not being caught with them." Kakashi winks at the blonde, who returns with a laugh.

"Well, then you'll be happy to know that the next installation in the series should be coming out this summer."

"Oh?" This is news to Kakashi; there hasn't been any word or advertising for a new installation to his favorite series.

"Yeah, he's been working on it for a while now. Writer's block and all." Before Kakashi can question Naruto further on how he's privy to this information, the blonde's best friend comes waltzing into the room and strikes up an immediate conversation with him. Behind Kiba comes the second problem child he's concerned about having in his class.

Kakashi watches as the youngest Uchiha makes his way into the room, taking a seat at the front of the class. This doesn't come as a surprise to Kakashi; Sasuke is always at the top of the class and spares no frivolities with trying to "fit in" to school norms. The raven holds himself with an air of dignity and pride, and is probably one of the most socially closed off people the silver haired teacher has ever seen.

With no small amount of amusement, Kakashi watches Naruto scrunch up his nose and stick his tongue out at the dark haired boys back. Almost as if he could sense this slight, Sasuke turns around and glares at the blonde in the back of the class. Naruto crosses his arms over his chest and flicks his head to the side, not sparing the Uchiha another glance. That is, until he turns around. Then Naruto's eyes slowly trail back to him, where they stay, glaring.

Kakashi sighs and leans his head on his lightly fisted hand. Maybe, just maybe, if he gets lucky this period, that will be all that happens. It's only the first day back from classes. Certainly some of that hostility has ebbed out over the break.

It doesn't seem so, however. The scowl on Naruto's face stays in place and focused on Sasuke, while the raven stares blankly out the window he's next to.

The bell rings, signaling the official start of class. Kakashi looks over his class, doing an internal head count before proceeding to talk. "Good morning. Glad to see you all made it. As you should know, this is World History with a focus on African history." Immediately, there is a raised hand. Kakashi sighs and motions for the student to talk.

"If this is World History, why are we focusing on Africa? Wouldn't that make it an African History class?" The kid, who Kakashi wasn't all that familiar with, was sitting smugly in his seat, staring up at Kakashi.

"Because the majority of history as you know it, has its roots in Africa. Between England invading and the U.S slave trade, it is a very good place to start when trying to understand how the world has come to what it is." This answer seems to satisfy the brat into being quiet. Kakashi sighs and returns to his original speech.

By the time he finishes the course intro and starts the first lesson, there's only half the class time left. Thankfully, the class seems to be going smooth. Almost too smooth for Kakashi's weary soul to handle.

Which is why, when he hears Naruto ask a question concerning the "plight of underprivileged African Americans in a dominantly and racist white world" he wasn't at all surprised with the stoic and intellectually inclined response of Sasuke. Apparently, Naruto did not like what he heard come from Sasuke's mouth, and the blonde quickly goes off into a rant.

It's at moments like this that Kakashi is so pleased with his ability to tune people out, and also that the boys choose to sit so far from each other. Otherwise, he's sure some punches would be thrown at this point, if the look on Naruto's face is anything to go by.

"Alright, let's all calm down." Kakashi waves both his hands in a downwards manner, hoping for once, the boys will listen. Unfortunately, listening is not in Naruto's arsenal of strong abilities, and Sasuke has too much pride to back down.

Naruto looks angrily from Sasuke to Kakashi. "Tell him to stop being such a stuck up, know-it-all git, and then I might calm down!"

Sasuke scoffs and barely glances over his shoulder to eye the blonde. "It's not my fault you're more focused on personal concepts than actual history." Naruto looks ready to blow a top, so Kakashi quickly intervenes. Again.

"We are entitled to our opinions." He shoots a look to the Uchiha. "But this is also a class, where I will try to teach you why things have happened as they have. If you'll focus long enough to let me do so." This time, the sharp look shifts to Naruto. "Is that understood?"

Naruto falls back into the chair he has been leaning out of, and crosses his arms over his chest in anger. "Yeah, whatever." He then proceeds to petulantly pout, which if he didn't look so ready to hit someone, would almost be cute.

Sasuke on the other hand, already has his attention back on Kakashi. He raises one eyebrow at Kakashi's final glance before the exasperated teacher turns back to the board. Why can't these brats just get along? It's the very first day of the Spring semester. Very first. It should be calm demeanors and lack of attitudes.

Kakashi closes his eyes and sends a silent prayer to the heavens; please don't let this be the semester that I quit my eight-year career. From behind his back, he can hear another argument starting up, instigated by a question from the blonde.

Oh yeah, this semester is going to be fun. It's safe to say that when the class dismissal bell goes off, Kakashi is out of that room right along with the students. He needs some of the cool, fresh air that only the teachers' lounge can provide. Free of students, free of disruptive blondes and ravens, but most importantly, he can pull out his Icha Icha and read in peace.

Or so he thinks.

"Kakashi, you look a bit amused. Something happen, old friend?" Might Guy, Kasai's esteemed gym and sports coach, pats his old friend on the back. Hard.

"Just a couple students that never learn", Kakashi manages to choke out between a few coughs. Guy has more strength than necessary, not that Kakashi would mention that.

"Oh? Would these students be Uzumaki and Uchiha?" Guy gives a knowing chuckle. "Those two are always brimming with fiery youth! They give me such motivation."

Kakashi did his best not to roll his eyes. There's not much in this world that doesn't give Guy motivation. "Well, I think they need to learn to get along with each other." It would certainly make Kakashi's life easier. Naruto and Sasuke have been placed in his homeroom class this semester, as well as two course periods. Judging from how just one class has gone- and on the very first day of the Spring Semester- it was going to be a rough ride.

"Those two just need to let their energy out in a more constructive manner! They're both healthy, young eighteen year olds! They should have girlfriends." Kakashi stares at his green clad friend and wonders if he has ever even met these boys. Naruto clearly has virgin stamped on him, what with the way he interacts with the female race- either painfully blind to their come-ons, or all-out determination in lost causes. Sasuke… Well, Kakashi is almost certain that the Uchiha is asexual, or extremely close. The only person he could ever recall watching the boy willingly speak to is the blonde idiot also in question.

Kakashi debates on what opinion to voice to Guy, not sure how he would take any bit of information. He decides on short and subtle. "I don't think that will happen."

"Why not? Everybody want's someone in their life." Guy beams at him like this is common knowledge.

"While that may be true, I know that Naruto is interested in someone that will not return his feelings, and Sasuke is only interested in everyone else leaving him alone."

"Our little raven friend doesn't mind Naruto bothering him! Maybe they need to redirect their attention for each other in a more positive outlet!"

Well, now. There's an idea. Kakashi's eyes widen at the implication, and he just barely contains a smile. If the raven does have an interest in romantic complications, then why wouldn't it be with the only person he seems to pay any attention? The fact that Naruto can elicit any sort of emotion and remarks from Sasuke has to account for something.

Unfortunately for him, a second colleague of his joins into their conversation.

"I don't believe for a minute that you can get those boys to even be friends, let alone start dating." Anko smirks at her colleague over the top of her coffee cup. To an outsider, it would seem that she has the upper hand in this conversation, and is flouncing that information. However, Kakashi knows from the subtle way her lip quirks up on the right side, and the sardonic merriment in her eyes, that she's trying to goad him into a challenge.

One that he is willing to take.

"Maa, I'm sure that all that fighting they do is misplaced sexual tension. Guy is onto something here." Kakashi tilts his head to the side and smiles at Anko, waiting to see how far she will take this.

"You know what, I bet you $100 you can't get them together, and I'll also throw in vouchers to Akimichi's restaurant." Anko smirks and leans against the table. "What do you say, Kashi? Wanna go for it?"

"I could certainly use $100 to buy some new reading material." Kakashi's smile only shows amusement at their conversation, furthering Anko's flare.

"Ha!" Anko slams her hand down on the table, causing a salt shaker to spill over. "Then you're on! You get those brats together by the end of the semester, then you win. If not, then I win the luxury of knowing there's something not even the great Hatake can accomplish!"

"Sounds like a deal." And with that, they shake hands. Kakashi's spring semester just got much more interesting, and perhaps lethal if either boy finds out what he's up to. He would have to find some sneaky method to get this done…

And like that, Kakashi knew how to get the boys together. Not just them, but several students he could see being in a relationship with each other, given the right push.

So much for relaxing in the teachers' lounge, he has a whole class to replan.

* * *

"This semester we are going to be performing an experiment pertaining to social psychology. This will be a project among two people to learn how their individual social settings and dynamics have affected their lives and the way they perceive the world. I will be handing out the assignment sheets before the end of class. For now, we are going to discuss how this class operates." Hatake Kakashi, one of the more normal teachers at Kasai Private School, speaks in the laziest tone Naruto has ever heard. He swears if he talks with any less enthusiasm, he'll fall asleep from boredom. Naruto's eyes sleepily follow Kakashi's movements as he comes around to lean against his desk. Naruto has already gotten into it once today with him, so he figures he'll go easy during this class. His eyes narrow and trail to the jerk who got a rise out of him earlier. Of course he would have the last class of the day with him.

"We have four months to enjoy this experiment. There will be two assignments per week, with five questions per assignment. These assignments will all pertain to the same topic for one whole month. Then, the next month will switch to a new topic. You must answer these questions to the full capacity. I don't want any simple answers that require no thought. You are here to analyze the social structures and how they affect a person's psychology. Basically, you should be able to write me an essay for each assignment. Understood so far?" A few lazy nods from around the room signal Kakashi to continue.

"Since this will focus solely on each pairing, class attendance is not necessary. In fact, there's no point in coming to class because I won't be here." A collective gasp sounds from around the room, and Naruto's ears immediately perk up. He's been letting most of his words go in one ear and out the other, but this just got interesting.

"I do request that you and your partner meet twice a week to go over the assignments together. During the next four months, you will be collecting information on your partner and analyzing how this information fits into a psychological profile of them. A profile that you will turn in to me at the end of the semester. Still following?" You can practically hear everyone's brains rattling in their skulls. The excitement in the air is tangible. Kakashi is basically giving them a free period, and considering this is the last class of the day, that's pretty awesome.

"Alright, now that's settled. Let's move on to the actual course work. As you hear your name called, come and take a folder. Do not break the seal until everyone has one. Then, we'll go around and see who's been paired up. Sound good?" Naruto's excitement has him bouncing in his seat. Maybe, if he gets lucky - and he typically does- he'll be paired with Sakura. His eyes fall onto the girl of his dreams. How anyone could be so gorgeous is beyond him. He watches as she tosses her head back to laugh at something a friend just told her. Her shoulder length bubblegum pink hair bounces, and Naruto can see the mirth in her emerald green eyes. Just watching her causes him to smile. Sakura is the most beautiful girl in school, and also the most popular. She's on the cheerleading team and the student council. If he had it his way, she would be his girlfriend already.

Unfortunately, she only has eyes for Sasuke. At that thought, Naruto's eyes narrow and slide to the raven in question. It's not like Sasuke is anything fantastic. Sure, he's attractive, if you can look past his shitty personality. All the girls in school fawn over him like he's God's gift to earth. Naruto doesn't see why he should receive any special attention just because he's tall, dark, and handsome.

And yeah, okay, maybe he's extremely intelligent along with the good looks, but that doesn't give him a reason to be such a stuck up, arrogant asshole! Who cares if he's the leader of the student council, as well as the debate team. And he plays baseball during season as the co-captain. Naruto falls back farther in his seat and huffs at the injustice of it all. Why does a guy like that get to have it all, when there's guys like him busting their chops to have it?

Well, okay, maybe he doesn't really try that hard academically, but this stuff is boring! And besides, it's hardly what counts at the end of the day. He's the captain of the soccer team and can rock the shit out of any play the drama society puts on. Oh yeah; Uzumaki Naruto can act. It's actually the best stress and energy relief he's come across.

It seems like ages before Naruto is finally called to get his folder. He stares at the white packet with mixed excitement and apprehension. There are 20 students in this social psychology class. He could be paired up with any one of them. Luck will only get him so far in this.

"Alright, everyone has been pre-paired on my judgment. So, I only need one person from each group to say their partner's name. Let's begin with Akimichi Choji." Naruto snorts to himself as Choji doesn't even bother to put his chips down to open his folder.

"My partner is Yamanaka Ino." Damn, he got Naruto's second choice. Ino is a cheerleader as well, and a sometime friend, but mostly rival of Sakura. She's a fairly good friend of Naruto's, as they run in the same circles. She has a headstrong, fiery personality like Naruto. Blondes do it best! He would have had a fair chance to be around Sakura more if she had been his partner.

"Fukui Haru, who is your partner?"

"Um, Tsukino Natsuki, sir." He barely glances at the two people he doesn't know. For a private school, there's a large student population.

His ears do perk up at the next name called; Haruno Sakura. Please, he internally begs, let it be me.

"My partner is Rock Lee." Fortunately, his groan of misery cannot be heard over Lee's whoop of joy.

"I will not let you down, Sakura. I will be the best partner you could have!" Psh, Naruto sincerely doubts that. He glowers at Lee for a few more moments before proceeding to listen to the match-ups.

He listens to six more pairings without hearing his name called. Even he's getting worried now. He tries thinking of who hasn't been called yet, before it dawns on him. Oh God, this can't be happening. He cannot be partnered to-

"Uchiha Sasuke, will you please state your partner's name?"

Onyx eyes narrow at Naruto, and that haughty voice clearly says his name.

This semester is going to be hell.

The moment the bell rings, Naruto makes a beeline for the door. Hopefully he can avoid that Uchiha jerk and get to the parking lot before anyone can stop him. The last thing he wants is to have his evening ruined.

Apparently everyone else had the same idea, because the hallway is jam-packed when Naruto gets into it. He groans in frustration and start pushing his way through people towards his locker, earning himself a few irritated glares and verbal lashes. They'll get over it.

"Really, Naruto. You couldn't wait a few more minutes?" He glances up from throwing his books haphazardly in his locker. Ino's locker is right next to Naruto's, and as fortune would have it, her and Sakura share more often than not, so they can get from class to practice quicker.

"Come on, Ino! You know I have to get to Java's before four! AJ gets scary when her employees are late." Naruto shudders and cringes at the idea. The last time he came in late coincided with a huge, random rush. The owner, AJ, nearly ripped him a new asshole. Since then, he's gotten to work about 20 minutes early every shift.

"That's no excuse to be so rude. God, Naruto." This time the reprimand comes from Sakura. He opens his mouth to defend himself, but he's cut off by another voice.

"Dobe." Naruto's back tenses as the insult reaches his ears. There's only one person who calls him that. Great, just what he needed. Of course this jerk would show up just when he was about to have a wonderful conversation with Sakura.

Looking over his shoulder, he sends a glare to the Uchiha behind him. "What do you want?" Dammit, why does Sasuke have to be so tall? He's at least a good three inches taller than the blonde, and that just adds to the list of reasons to hate him.

Sasuke scoffs and glares down at Naruto. "You may slack when it comes to school, but I don't. We need to set a meeting time for this project."

"Like I want to meet with you!" Is the shouted response. God, this guy grinds Naruto's nerves in no time at all. Why can't he just disappear?

Before Sasuke can retort, he's interrupted by the sweetest voice. "You know, Sasuke, if you want, we can always switch partners." Naruto glances in pain to Sakura, who's slightly blushing and running a hand through her hair. She never looks so cutely nervous when talking to Naruto! Mostly just annoyed. She timidly looks up to give Sasuke hopeful eyes, but her hope quickly gets shot down.

"No." One simple word from Sasuke, and she's down for the count. Part of Naruto is pleased that he said no, but another part is pissed off. Who the hell does he think he is? Sakura is the number one catch in this school, and he's stupid and demented for not wanting to go out with her! Even though his refusal gives Naruto some edge in his plight…

But that's hardly the point here. "Why do you have to be such an asshole?" Naruto thrust a finger into his chest a few times, just for emphasis. "Did anyone ever teach you manners?" The blondes shoots him a heated glare, not really wanting a response.

Sasuke stares down in disgust at the offending digit. "Unlike you, yes." He brings a hand up and quickly swats Naruto's away from him. Well, that only sets him off further.

"I have manners! A hell of a lot more than you! I would never turn a gorgeous girl like Sakura down!"

"You could never get a girl to willingly speak to you, dobe." Naruto wants to bust the smirk on his face right off, and he's beginning to think he might do just that. The blonde would get a sick sort of satisfaction at watching that jerk's nose break.

A locker door slamming shut brings his attention back to the girls next to me. Ino glares at Naruto and then at Sasuke, before huffing and pulling on Sakura's arm. "Come on, we have to get to practice."

Naruto groans in frustration. "Great, so now I'm going to be late for work and my conversation with Sakura was ruined." He shoots a nasty glare at Sasuke. "This is your fault."

"Hardly. Meet me outside the classroom tomorrow, we can discuss things then." And with that, the stoic bastard saunters down the hall and away from Naruto. He glares after him and slams his locker shut. For a moment, he just stands there and seethes. Naruto thought his Spring semester was going to be awesome- filled with easy classes, pretty girls, prom, and then graduation. Instead, he now has to deal with Sasuke biting his head off for the rest of the semester, being late for work, and the girl of his dreams fawning over _him_.

Wait…. Late for work…. Dammit! He hurriedly throws his bag over his shoulder and books it down the hall. The café is 20 minutes away from the school. Even if he races there, he'll likely be late for his shift. Can this day get any worse?

Apparently, it seems it can. Naruto skids into the café 10 minutes late, shouting out apologies to anyone that will listen. That's when AJ pops out her office, shooting him a glare. Oh boy. This is good already. She's either had a bad day or he missed a rush, because the place is dead. Usually though, the café doesn't get busy till around 6pm.

See, Java's Café and Bakery is a local spot for "writers and insomniacs to come and enjoy their evening and night when everything else has closed", according to AJ. Really, Naruto thinks she just doesn't like to be up in the morning. Because of this, the café is open from noon to whenever customers stop coming in. AJ's apartment is right above the café, and she told Naruto once that she doesn't mind hosting alone after midnight, if it helps someone else have a good night.

Unlike most businesses, she's open all week. Something about not needing a break when her job is exactly what she wants to do with her life. For someone who's open so often, she keeps a minimal staff, though. If Naruto's count is correct, he only has about three other coworkers. She only keeps staff on till 10pm, but sometimes on the weekends, Naruto will offer to stay later.

"You're late." She taps her nails against the door post while she watches him clock in.

"I'm sorry, but I got held up at school. I have to do this project with some creep and he detained me." The keys of the computer click harshly as he lets some of his earlier irritation seep back.

"Eh, it's alright. Today hasn't been busy. Biggest problem is I can't get my damn cake to turn out right…" AJ trails off and stares distantly towards the kitchen. At this, Naruto perks up.

"Do you need help?" Naruto loves to cook, but baking is a talent that he's thankfully gifted with. He begged AJ to hire him when she didn't even need anyone, purely for the experience of working in a kitchen that he would enjoy. Sure, he could have gotten a job at a fast food place or as a waiter, but there's no love in that. As he walks into the kitchen, AJ trailing behind him, he can already feel all of his stress falling away. There's just something about knowing he's going to create something that is so…. Soothing.

"I want to make this recipe I found online, but I've done 2 attempts so far, and they don't hold up properly." AJ comes to stand next to Naruto and shows him a yummy looking cake. Damn, Naruto thinks, I want to make this thing and eat it all for myself. To hell with selling it! "It's called a hummingbird cake."

Naruto nods his head and takes the phone from her to look over the ingredients. Pineapples, bananas, pecans, cinnamon… "You're probably putting too much of something in it, and it can't hold up because of it." He grabs an apron and starts bustling around the kitchen, pulling ingredients from the shelves and grabbing utensils as he goes. He hears AJ chuckle behind him and he turns to see her smiling and shaking her head.

"You seem to be in your zone, so I'll leave you to it, okay?" She wraps her knuckles on the table before turn to leave him on his own. Naruto can't help but smile adoringly at her retreating figure. AJ acknowledges his talent, and instead of trying to put a leash on him and tell him what he can and cannot do in her bakery, she lets him have free reign. Someday when he owns his own restaurant, he will strive to be an awesome owner like her.

Naruto hums happily to himself as he works, completely forgetting all of the worries of the day. He lets himself sink into the comforting task at hand, and enjoy the rest of his night.

* * *

Classes have been flying by today, and then lunch came up and seems to be lasting forever. Just the way Naruto likes it. He even managed to ignore Sasuke during homeroom and History; a personal achievement, if he may say so. Of course, he was also way too tired today to even care about anyone else. By the time he got out of the café, damn near midnight – the cake turned out really well and they ended up selling quite a bit, leading to Naruto staying over to show AJ how to do it – he still had to come home and do some homework. Leading to about 4 hours of sleep. He's been looking forward to the hour long free time since he woke up. It's during this relaxing lunch period - that he's spending napping in an empty classroom - that his favorite person comes and finds him.

"Naruto, make sure you meet up with Sasuke after class. I don't want you blemishing his perfect academic record." Before Naruto stands a pink haired goddess. He stares dreamily up at her and gives her a smile that could melt ice caps. How is it that the girl from his dreams actually manifested before him? It must be fate. A higher being must have wanted them to be together, so He sent her to Naruto as a sign. He giggles to himself as visions of him and Sakura holding hands and kissing enters his mind.

"Naruto, you better be listening to me!" A hand slams down on his desk, snapping him out of his daydream and leaving him with a pout.

"Of course I'm listening. I just don't get why I have to do a project with him." Naruto crosses his arms over his chest and leans back in the seat. Stupid Kakashi making him partner with stupid Sasuke for a stupid project…. This is such a waste of his time!

"Naruto, this class is required to graduate. It's one of your final credits. You should be happy you have Sasuke as your partner. If you just work with him, there's no way you can fail." Naruto looks up at Sakura in pity. The poor girl just doesn't understand. That Uchiha is evil, and he'll find a way to make Naruto fail. Probably by being a total jerk and sabotaging the whole project.

Of course, voicing this to Sakura would earn Naruto a few beatings, so he keeps that opinion to himself. "Sure, whatever." He turns his head stiffly to the side and juts out his lip in a half pout half glare. He hears Sakura sigh and glances at her from the corner of his eye. She seems pretty annoyed, but she's not walking away.

"Um, do you need something?" He's almost afraid to even ask the question. Sakura never beats around about things. She's very… Upfront.

Sakura looks down at him, an unknown emotion swimming in her eyes. While Naruto can't pinpoint what exactly she's thinking, he does know it makes him uncomfortable. He squirms a bit in his seat and wishes she would stop looking at him like that. Nothing good can come from this.

"Do you think, maybe, you could get Sasuke to ask me on a date? Since you'll be spending so much time with him?" With one simple question, this girl breaks his heart down a little bit more. He sighs and refuses to look at her.

"There's nothing great about him. I don't see why you're so interested." Naruto can't help it if his voice sounds petty and he can't look her in the eye. The anger that seems to fill his entire being won't be shaken.

"Sasuke is everything I want, Naruto!" Sakura stamps her foot on the ground and moves her hands against her waist.

Naruto finally looks full on at the girl he's been crushing on since freshman year. The girl he's told himself would be the perfect girlfriend. He's chased after her so hard, and gone through so many harsh rejections, but he always gets back up and tries again. But something about this time; the way she sounds like she is just wanting to use Naruto to get close to _him_ …

That breaks Naruto's spirit a tiny bit. Whether or not she reciprocates his feelings, he's given a lot for this girl. That's gotta count for something, right? And the spiteful words are escaping his mouth before he can stop them. "Yeah, but he doesn't want you." Naruto cringes back from the look of shock on her face. Not for long though, because as soon as she registers what he said, the shock turns to anger and she bangs him upside the head with her purse.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you are a horrible person! I can't believe I thought I could count on you!" She spins around on her heels and storms out of the room. As quickly as the encounter happened, it was over.

And strangely enough, Naruto hardly feels bad for it. His sleep hazed mind wonders vaguely what it is that he likes about her. He goes over the usual reasons he gives himself. She's kind - when she wants something-, she's gorgeous - when she's not scowling or screaming, which is always-, she's intelligent - which seems to make her think she's better than everyone else-, and she's the most popular girl in school; the one you're supposed to crush on. It doesn't matter if her personality could use some work, right?

But Naruto's mind doesn't agree with him right now. She's not worth it, he thinks. Not worth the rejections and certainly not with the effort. He vaguely thinks to himself that he should just give up on her, but he's too tired to think of what that actually entails. In fact, he's too tired to mess with any of this right now.

His eyes sleepily glide to the clock at the front of the room. Perfect. Now that he's back to just himself and his daydreams, he has 20 more minutes that belong to a nap. Pushing all thoughts of pinkettes and ravens from his mind, he drifts back into sleep.

* * *

The sudden sharp ringing of the bell jolts Naruto out of his chair. He groans as he stretches his back out and yawns. Jeez, naps go by way too quickly. He plops back down in the seat and waits for the students to come trickling in. He often finds himself napping at lunch time, and came to the fairly smart decision, if he may say so himself, to sleep in the classroom that he has to attend after lunch.

Naruto has just settled in and closed his eyes once more when something whacks him on the back of the head. "You can't sleep, idiot." Naruto turns his head to look over his shoulder and sneer at the grinning boy behind him. Inuzuka Kiba is one of his close friends, and a giant pain in the ass.

"I can do whatever I want, dog breath." Naruto leans back in his chair roughly, making his annoyance evident.

Kiba kicks the back of Naruto's chair a couple times. "You don't wanna make Noriko-sensei angry, do you?" Ugh. Naruto cringes at the thought. Noriko-sensei is the Japanese teacher. She's very tiny, very pretty, and very easily angered. If she sees anyone doing anything less than giving her full on attention, she will be in front of your desk and speaking in rapid, angry Japanese before you even have time to realize she's on to you. Naruto took Japanese I last year, and had plenty of fun in detention numerous times from "smarting off to the teacher".

"I don't care if she gets mad." But he straightens up anyways. It's only the second day of classes. Does he really need to make enemies of teachers already?

"So, have you and pretty boy talked about the project yet?" The question makes Naruto think back to what Sakura had asked just a short time before, causing an instant scowl to cover his face.

"No. I'm supposed to meet up with him today to figure it out. I think Kakashi has decided he hates me and wants me to suffer through the last semester." While Naruto doesn't really think the teacher has it out for him, it certainly seems so. I mean, come on. He so obviously knows they don't get along. Why would he purposefully pair them up? Anybody would have been better. Hell, Lee would have been better!

"Tough luck, man. Hinata and I are gonna hang out after school a couple times a week, given the free time." Kiba, like Naruto, works after school. Though his job isn't half as enjoyable from what Naruto hears. He helps his mom run the family veterinary clinic and shelter. Which translates to, he cleans out kennels and feeds the animals.

"Hey, haven't you had a crush on that girl since Freshman year?" Naruto turns around to look at Kiba, who to his surprise, is blushing as red as a tomato. Naruto breaks out in a grin and nudges Kiba's arm. "I'm right, aren't I? You gonna try to get her to go out on a date with you?"

"Shut up, Naruto. Class is starting." Sure enough, the bell has just gone off and Noriko-sensei is busy writing something on the board. Oh well.

"I'm more interested in your love affairs." Naruto waggles his eyebrows in what is supposed to be a seductive manner, but considering the snort and grin he gets from Kiba, is just comical.

"I might ask her out." He has the decency to almost blush. Before Naruto can prod him any further, one of their mutual friends sits down across from Naruto, and Kiba immediately starts talking to him. "Hey, Shika, who's the chick you got paired with? Never seen her before."

Now that Naruto thinks about it, Shikamaru did get paired with a blonde that he's never really noticed before. Sure, he knows what she looks like. She's a bombshell blonde, anyone would notice her. But Naruto has no idea anything else about her. His curiosity is piqued. "Yeah, who is she?"

He sighs and glances at them before looking back up at the ceiling. "Her name is Temari. She's from Suna." Suna is a neighboring city of Konoha, but Kasai doesn't have many students from there because the distance is still a bit steep.

"You already met up with her?" Shikamaru drags his eyes back to Naruto, almost seeming insulted at the incredulous nature of his tone. It's not Naruto's fault he has poor faith in the guy's ability to do work. Shikamaru is a genius; he's always at the top of the class. Even ahead of Sasuke. But Shika is also really lazy and hates to do anything that requires energy. While he's got the skill and talent, he doesn't have the time and energy – in his opinion, at least.

"We worked on a project last year together in chemistry, so I know a bit about her." He shrugs his shoulders like that answers everything, and unfortunately, it's going to have to. Noriko-sensei just turned her attention to Naruto and is shooting him daggers with that glare. He turns around in his seat and gives her his biggest and brightest smile. She shakes her head but turns back to the board.

Looks like it'll be a silent period.

* * *

Naruto is in a fairly happy mood as he walks to the room that is supposed to host his Social Psychology course. He just finished his Culinary Arts class for the day, which is already turning out to be pretty good. The teacher this year really believes in hands on learning and not just reading recipes from a book and speculating how they would work out. Naruto cringes at the memories of last year's useless class. Anything can manage to be better than that.

His happy mood slowly starts to drift away from him as he rounds the corner leading to his destination. There, leaning next to the doorway like he owns the place, is that jerk. Even when he's got nothing there to annoy him, he still glowers. Though when his attention turns to Naruto, that scowl intensifies.

Well, it's not like Naruto is pleased to see him either. Not one bit. Before Naruto actually reaches the room, Sasuke rights himself and disappears into the empty classroom. Naruto follows him into the space, not liking the idea of being alone with him. Typically, they're always in a room full of people, so if their "discussions" do get a little heated, someone is always there to calm it down. With no one around to dissipate the action, would they actually get into a fight?

Only time will tell. And they have four months of shared time to find out.

Naruto unconsciously moves to stand next to the window, away from Sasuke's perch against a table in the front row. It's been one of those super sunny January days; there's a ton of snow on the ground and the suns out, causing the reflection to light up the room. How he wishes he could be anywhere else right now…

"We'll do the meetings at your house." Sasuke looks over at Naruto like this is not something he's going to argue with. Naruto swears, this guy is way too damn conceited for his own good. He's so used to his fangirls falling all over him, he just thinks Naruto is going to as well.

"Why mine? Your place would be easier to get to." Naruto don't know if this is true or not, but he thinks it's safe to assume so. He lives in the middle of the woods. Naruto begrudgingly scuffs his foot against the floor and casts a longing glance out the window. He could be down at the café, enjoying a hot chocolate and a muffin... But nooo…. He has to be talking to this creep.

"I don't bring anyone to my house." Sasuke says this so deathly serious, Naruto can't help but snort.

"What, afraid a fangirl or two might molest you?" Naruto rolls his eyes. "It's not like I would give out your address." The last thing he wants to do is encourage girls to be even more all over this douche.

"I'm not taking you to my house; you'll break something." Sasuke glares at him and cuts him off before he can retort. "Just give me your address."

Naruto clenches his fist at the demand. "No! I don't want to!" Why does he think he can just make demands and get whatever he wants? Naruto doesn't know how things work in Uchiha world, but in Naruto world, you ask nicely for things.

Most of the time. Terms and conditions may vary when dealing with assholes.

"You're such a child." Sasuke brings a hand to his face and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Fine. We can either meet here during the scheduled class time, or we can meet at your work."

Naruto gawks at him. Is he serious? He can't be serious. "My work?! You want me to let everyone I know see me with you?" He's lost his mind, it's the only answer.

"I'm the one who should be offended." He sends Naruto another glare. "You work at a café; it'll be a quiet area with room to study."

Naruto's incredulous expression turns to one of surprise. "How do you know where I work?"

Sasuke sighs and looks like he just wants to strangle him. Good, the feeling is mutual. "Ino mentioned it."

"When were you talking about me to Ino?" This is news to Naruto. While they do get along, and she does know where he works because she stops by a lot, Naruto wasn't aware she would talk about him in passing.

"Can you stay on subject?" Naruto resists the urge to stick his tongue out at him. Last thing he needs is more ammo to call him immature.

Given some consideration, Naruto guesses it would be best to just go to the café. He doesn't really want to give Sasuke his address, if only because he won't give Naruto his. And Naruto is sure AJ will enjoy ogling him; it'll probably earn him a free drink and a snack, actually!

"Alright, Teme. We can go to the café and do this thing." Naruto huffs melodramatically, as if the whole thing is just causing him so much turmoil. Sasuke rolls his eyes, but pushes his bag up his shoulder again and starts walking out of the room.

"You'll have to follow me there." Naruto says quickly while following behind him. Well, if he wants to do this stupid thing, he sure will. It's not like he knows where Java's is. In response, he hears a slight "hn" noise come from Sasuke. It's more than the scoff he typically gets, but no less annoying.

The walk to the parking lot and the ride to the café is fairly uneventful. There's very little traffic due to it being such a strange time to be out – School isn't out for another hour and most businesses are in session. Naruto can see Sasuke's matte black Camaro every time he glances in the rearview mirror. Jeez, the guy just had to get one of the flashier cars, didn't he? Naruto knows his jeep isn't a bad vehicle to have, in fact, he knows he can do more with his jeep than Sasuke can with his car, but still... It's a damn nice car and would inspire jealousy into the best of them.

"Didn't have any trouble keeping along?" Naruto asks after they've parked and stepped out into the back lot reserved for employees.

"I had an atrocious orange beacon to follow; it wasn't difficult."

"Hey!" Naruto instantly exclaims, coming to his car's defense. "Orange is a perfectly wonderful color; I'll have you know!"

Sasuke gives him a look that clearly demonstrates his distaste in Naruto's color choice and opinion, but it's not like he cares what this bastard thinks.

Naruto leads them into the side door of the café, bringing them next to the coffee display and bakery case. At their entrance, a small bell above the door rings out softly. The dark haired boy behind the counter looks up and gives Naruto a fake smile.

"Hello, Naruto. I didn't think you worked today." The boy, Sai, keeps that smile plastered to his face, making Naruto want to cringe. When he first started working with Sai, it became quickly apparent they were not going to get along. So much in fact, AJ makes sure to never schedule them together unless she has no other choice.

"I don't. I'm in as a customer today." Naruto glances over to Sasuke, realizing what it might look like that he came in with him. Naruto has never come into work with another person, let alone a guy.

They're such a contrast to each other, no one could actually expect that they're together, right? Sasuke is tall – Naruto has estimated about 5'11" – and built lean but strong due to his athletic nature. He's also really pale; not like Sai, though. Sai has a sallow, almost sickly pale tone while Sasuke's is more of a milky smooth, marble-like color. And the constant blank expression on his face alludes to his anti-social nature.

Naruto on the other hand, is a nice 5'8", and even though he's fairly small for a boy of his age, it just makes him that much more agile. Sure, he's almost unhealthily thin for the amount of muscle he puts on, but it's not on purpose. He's just built a bit less bulkily then he should be. And where Sasuke is pale as can be, Naruto is a natural tan that makes girls jealous year round. Not to mention, the blonde has a smile plastered to his face nearly at all times.

Mostly, all the time. Except when he's dealing with sociopaths.

"Ah, so is this your boyfriend?" Yep. He knew it. The sickeningly sweet smile on Sai's face needs to be knocked right off. Naruto immediately blushes at the words, embarrassed beyond measure that anyone would think he would go out with this jerk. He does have some standards, and assholes don't make it.

More importantly, the last time he checked, he was pretty damn straight. He's never checked out a guy or ogled over someone of the same gender. He reserves that behavior for pretty ladies.

"Of course not! Jesus, Sai! Don't say such stupid things!" Naruto is glad there aren't any customers in the shop, because his voice raises a bit more than he meant for it to. As it is, AJ steps out of her office to see what's going on. Momentary shock flashes across her face upon seeing Naruto, but turns to one of interest when her eyes shift to the boy standing next to him.

"Naruto? What brings you here?" By this time, AJ has stepped out her office and behind the counter, shooing Sai towards the espresso maker. Thank God for understanding managers.

"I have a school project to work on, figured this would be the easiest place to do it at."

AJ rolls her eyes. "I bet you also think you're gonna milk free drinks and snacks out of me, don't you?" She leans an elbow on the counter and gives Naruto a bogus glare. At his pout, it quickly turns into a grin and a laugh. "You're more than welcome to study here, and have a free drink or two." She shakes her head. "So what'll it be?"

"Hot chocolate and a muffin!" Naruto shouts out without even thinking twice. Hadn't he just been daydreaming about this earlier? And know it's coming true. He could jump for joy if not for the raven standing next to him.

When Naruto remembers he's there, he glances to him quickly before nodding back to AJ. "Do you want anything to drink or eat?"

Naruto follows his gaze and notices he's reading the menu board. They have three blackboards hanging on the wall behind the counter, listing all the coffees that are available, and the general price of sweets. While the coffee's offered always stay the same, the sweets don't. AJ and Naruto both like to experiment, so a set list doesn't really work.

Sasuke moves towards the counter while reaching a hand into his pocket. "A double shot latte, please." AJ waves her hand in a dismissing manner when Sasuke begins to pull money out of his wallet.

"Any friend of Naruto's will get treated the same as he does." She winks at Sasuke. "Don't worry about it. You boys go sit down and I'll bring these over when they're done."

Naruto smiles brightly at her as he gives a quick tug to Sasuke's sleeve, silently telling him to follow. He chooses the booth in the back of the café, seated in a small alcove. It should be private enough to get work done, and not be too loud to any other customers that come in.

"Okay, so, how are we going to do this? Just ask the question and write down the other person's answer?" Naruto speaks as he rummages about in his bag, trying to locate the folder containing all the paperwork.

"That sounds fine." Naruto pulls back up to see Sasuke already set up with his assignment, an expensive looking journal, and a fountain pen. Naruto tries not to scowl. Why does this guy have to be so perfect at everything? Could he have come unprepared, with a normal notebook and a pencil?

"Isn't that a bit of overkill?" Naruto nods to the journal, causing Sasuke to look down, a bored expression painted on his face.

"I find that journals hold up better than spiral notebooks." Yeah, I bet he does, Naruto thinks. An academic achiever like Sasuke would worry about something like that.

Naruto sighs and decides to not push his luck. He needs to get through this, and it shouldn't take too long, right?

"First question," Sasuke starts without warning. "What is Social Psychology?" He begins jotting something down, and Naruto stares perplexed at him. Sasuke must have felt that he was being watched, because he glances up to meet Naruto's eyes. "What?"

"Umm," Naruto laughs sheepishly. "Mind filling me in?"

Sasuke sighs and rolls his eyes. "You don't know what Social Psychology is?"

Naruto glares heatedly at the raven. "Obviously, teme. I wouldn't have asked otherwise!"

Sasuke looks like he might retort, but surprises Naruto when he just answers the question. "Simply put, Social Psychology is the study of human behavior as it's influenced by society. This includes human interactions, cultural norms, and how this influences the way we interact with the world around us." Sasuke pauses for a moment to see if Naruto is writing this all down. Seeing that he is, Sasuke continues. "Social Psychology can account for certain topics such as group influence, discrimination and racism, attitudes, and stereotypes. Among many other topics that are influenced by society."

Naruto mutters under his breath as he tries to keep up with Sasuke's description. "You call that simple?" But doesn't say more. He can't really complain too much when the guy is giving him the answers. "Can you repeat the last bit, with all the examples?"

As Sasuke is listing off things again, AJ stops by their table to hand out the drinks and food. "You didn't specify what kind of muffin, so I just brought you guys banana nut." She gives a hurried glance to Sasuke. "Not allergic, are you?"

Sasuke shakes his head no and quietly thanks her. So, the asshole has manners with other people, and just not me? Naruto thinks with no lack of annoyance. Figures.

"Okay! Got that one done!" Naruto perks up as he finally gets to eat something. Skipping lunch to sleep isn't really the best idea he ever came up with, but hey. It's better than falling asleep during class and getting detention.

"Question two. How is Social Psychology studied?" Sasuke watches Naruto with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" Naruto isn't quite fond of being watched like this. He feels far too nervous being under the scrutiny of the Uchiha.

"Do you know the answer?"

Naruto scrunches up his nose and thinks for a moment before replying. "Well… I suppose the only way to really study this is to observe people, right? In groups and as individuals?"

Sasuke nods in agreement. "That's right. It's difficult to pinpoint one perfect way to study it, because it relies solely on human behavior. Just by sitting here and interacting with each other, we are in a way studying Social Psychology, never mind the project. If we were to stop and observe in detail the way we communicate with others, and then apply certain questions and concepts to our actions and motive for behavior, we would technically be putting together a study."

"Uh huh." Naruto seems a bit confused; not that it's anything new. "What's the point of wasting your time with studying something like this? Isn't it kind of pointless?"

"To someone like you, I'm sure it seems so. However, for people who wish to pursue careers in territories that require knowledge of the human mentality and behavior patterns as influenced by social interactions, it is very important to understand why we react to things the way we do."

Naruto holds back a moan of pain. All this talk is making his head hurt. He never thought that just having a personality could be made so difficult.

For the next two questions – how does Social Psychology play a role in your life, and in society - Sasuke gives the answers to Naruto with no prodding. Naruto is by no means going to complain about this, and figures Sasuke just wants to be done with this meeting as much as he does. But the thought makes Naruto look up at Sasuke, as if studying him for the first time. This is the longest they've ever been together and not fought. Sure, they've made the odd quip here and there, but no shouting matches.

"Alright, what's the last question?" Naruto roams his eyes over his paper till he reaches the fifth and final question. "How do you think it affects your partner?" Naruto's eyes widen with shock. He's supposed to answer on behalf of Sasuke? He darts his eyes up to gauge Sasuke's reaction, but he's simply staring out the window blankly.

What is he supposed to do, tell Sasuke he thinks that society has turned him into an egotistic asshole by praising his intelligence and looks too much? While it's the truth of what he feels, Naruto doesn't think that is going to go over so well.

"We don't have to answer this one right now," Naruto speaks up nervously. "It's a little presuming…"

"What do you think of me?" Sasuke says suddenly, but with no hesitancy. He stares at Naruto with a firm resolve in his features; one that makes Naruto so nervous, it's unreal.

"I think…" God, what is he even supposed to say? Never before has Naruto been uncertain about telling the raven exactly what he thinks about him. He does it on damn near a daily basis. But it's always provoked, in Naruto's opinion. This is different. This is almost… personal. And that confuses him. Naruto is not an intentionally cruel person; he doesn't strive to put people down or make them feel shitty. Sure, if you anger him, he'll be quick to say things that are rude. That's his basic flight or fight response. Uzumaki never backs down from a fight.

This question, though. There's no fight warranted. Leaving Naruto with a sincere lack of response. "You come off pretty arrogant, and it's annoying how everyone fawns over you. Like you're God's gift to earth or something…" Naruto tries to gauge Sasuke's reaction, but when he comes up blank he just continues. "You act like no one else's opinion matters, and that nothing can touch you. You're just… Unapproachable and too perfect."

For a while, Sasuke just stares at Naruto, causing the poor boy to fidget in his seat. Naruto isn't sure if he messed up, and just pissed the raven off. Honestly, Naruto isn't sure why it bothers him so much. It wouldn't be the first time he made Sasuke mad.

"My opinion of you," Sasuke's quiet but firm voice causes Naruto's attention to come back to him, "is that you're too impulsive in your actions. You don't think twice before you do or say anything, and you're quick to act without considering the outcomes." Naruto can feel his temper rising, but doesn't have time to say anything as Sasuke continues. "People seem to gravitate towards you though, and something has to be said for that."

Sasuke stands up abruptly, gathering all his supplies and putting them in his bag. He doesn't cast Naruto another glance as he walks out the same door they came through, leaving Naruto dumbfounded and alone.


	2. Behavior

**Author's Note :** Nothing particular to say here... But wow! Looking over these beginning chapters really puts into perspective for me how much the boys have come along, despite it seeming like they're getting nowhere.

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 **Beta's Note :** It's hard writing notes for old chapters when we already know what happens. Did you guys like the last chapter? I honestly loved the first chapter. AJ introduced the characters so perfectly. Those of you who are new readers, give some guesses about who you think will be getting together. It'll be fun to see who can guess correctly.

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 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse. **  
**

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

* * *

 **Chapter 2 : Behavior**

* * *

The entire drive home from Java's, Naruto can't help but ponder what Sasuke said about him. While it did incite anger initially, he can't help but agree with most of Sasuke's perception of him. He is rather impulsive and brash; when he gets an idea about what to do or say, it tends to just… Happen. It's not that he means to make stupid decisions. He just doesn't believe in waiting around for perfect moments or figuring things out and overthinking everything. That tends to be just as bad, if not worse, as acting instinctively as he does.

And what was with that last remark? Was Sasuke saying it's a good thing people like Naruto? It seems like a strange comment to make. Of course it's good to be well liked! Naruto glumly thinks back to a time when it seemed like no one wanted to have anything to do with him… He much prefers the way things are now.

He tries to shake these thoughts as he starts to go up his driveway. No reason to worry about things of the past; they can't be changed or fixed at this point. All Naruto can do now is try to make the best future for himself possible.

As Naruto slowly winds his way up the long drive leading to his house, he's greeted by a surprise. Well, maybe more of a shock. He thinks he might be getting robbed. Not a strange thought to have when you live in the middle of nowhere, and in a state of the art house. There's a lamp on in the main living room. A light Naruto knows he turned off.

He always thought it was a bad idea to build this place so far out of town; if someone did want to rob them, the offenders would be long gone by the time the cops were called.

On the defensive, Naruto edges his way along the dark lot. He didn't want to park in the garage tonight, in fear of disturbing whoever might be in his house and alerting them to his presence.

He pries the door open, praying it doesn't squeak. The place was just built around ten years ago, so if it's already making noise, there's a problem. Thankfully though, all is silent. As Naruto sneaks around his own house, it dawns on him that he doesn't really have a plan in mind if he does come across a robber. Not that this realization makes him think of one…

He spots an empty vase on a nearby table and picks it up, testing the weight of it. Well, he's got a weapon now, anyways. He takes a deep breath and then quickly rounds the corner into the living room.

Upon spotting a figure near the floor in the dim glow of the lamp, Naruto lets out a battle cry and raises the vase as he comes flying towards the intruder.

As Naruto gets closer, he notices the figure seems to be sitting quite comfortably at the kotatsu, the blanket laid out and everything. There's only one other person who knows how to put that table together. Naruto abruptly stops his mid-motion attack and really looks at the person in the low light.

"Hey, old man. What are you doing here?" Naruto pads around the couch and to the table, setting the vase down as he gets there.

Jiraiya snorts. "I own the place, brat." He reaches up and ruffles Naruto's hair, much to the blonde's chagrin.

"You could have warned me you were comin' back." Naruto mutters out.

"Nah, element of surprise is always best."

Naruto snorts this time but sits down under the warm blanket as well. He takes in the white haired man sitting to the side of him. A crushing sense of happiness overcomes him. Naruto never really feels like solitude bothers him, until Jiraiya comes back home. Then he realizes how much he misses having the old man around.

Jiraiya is Naruto's guardian, but a fairly absent one. Originally, he was just supposed to be his godfather, but there was a drastic change of plans when both of Naruto's parents died in a car crash shortly after his birth. It was a bit of a challenge for Jiraiya to adjust to raising a child – which is to say, he didn't. He never had any children of his own, and Naruto's father, Minato, was about as close as he came. Though that relationship was established when Minato was already a teen.

"How did the tour go?" Naruto asks conversationally. The reason Jiraiya is often away is due to his books. Being a big time smut writer requires quite a bit of travelling, for one reason or the other.

This doesn't bother Naruto much, really. He understands that Jiraiya didn't ask to be saddled with him. Sure, the old man thought he would have to show up for the occasional birthday or two. Maybe bring a present. But raise the kid? That wasn't in the cards.

When he was younger and Jiraiya would take off, Tsunade would watch him. That was always interesting. Not being much of a parental figure, but definitely an authoritative one, Naruto quickly learned how to sweet talk her and avoid trouble.

Which worked out quite well, considering she's the principal of Kasai Private School.

"It went pretty well. Gotta head back out in a month or so, but figured I could hang out with my favorite runt for a while."

Naruto rolls his eyes. "If you wanna spend time with me, gramps, you just gotta say so." Naruto flashes him a smile. "I know I'm the best thing in your life."

Jiraiya laughs loudly. "At least you're not shy about it." He ruffles Naruto's hair again. "I'm gonna head off to bed, kid. It's late. You should do the same."

"Nah," Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "I have some homework I need to do."

Jiraiya raises a skeptical eyebrow at this. "You're actually doing your homework these days?" He brings a hand to Naruto's forehead. "Are you sick?"

Naruto bats the laughing man away from him, pouting. "My teachers are giving me a shit ton of work to do! If I even remotely slack, I'm gonna fall behind and fail."

"Well, I'm glad to see you're taking your last semester of high school seriously." For a moment, Naruto thinks he sees something spark in Jiraiya's eyes.

He's almost positive the man is going to say something else, but he just gives him a wide grin and heads off towards his bedroom. "Don't stay up too late, brat."

Naruto rolls his eyes, but agrees with the advice. Best to just get it done quickly and get some sleep. Today has been long enough.

* * *

If Naruto didn't know better, he'd say Sasuke is purposefully avoiding him. During homeroom Naruto got into a friendly argument with Kiba. Typically, Sasuke would take the opportunity to insult the blonde, but today… He was silent.

Naruto decides to test this theory in the only way he knows how: Piss Sasuke off. It seems to come so naturally anyways, so why not?

As soon as third period begins, Naruto was ready. All he has to do is ask questions. The bastard won't be able to resist! He never misses an opportunity to tell Naruto he's wrong.

Except he does.

The entire period, Naruto asks any questions he can think of concerning the material. And what does he get for it? Nothing. Sure, Kakashi answers the questions in short, roundabout ways, but what use is that? Naruto doesn't want answers. He wants Sasuke's attention! But nope. Not a single word.

By the end of class, Naruto is completely puzzled. Why is he ignoring me so steadfastly? It's really all Naruto can think. Give his one track mind and lack of ability to focus on multiple things, this is the only thing he can wrap his mind around today. This doesn't really concern him; when he locks onto something, he stays that way till it gets resolved.

So naturally, by the end of the day, Naruto is more than upset by this. Not so much that Sasuke won't speak to him, but more the reason of why? Did he really offend the Uchiha last night with his opinion of him?

Naruto sighs and roughly shoves his books in his locker. Why does he care so much anyways? It's just that bastard! It's not like he's never hurt Naruto's feelings.

The blonde frowns at the thought. It doesn't sit right with him. He hasn't, has he? Whenever him and Sasuke argue, it's just senseless bickering. Sure, it feels important to win the fight in the heat of the moment, but then it's over. That's it. Nothing left to worry himself with about it. Naruto doesn't go around fuming at what he says for the rest of the day. Of course at this point in time, Naruto associates Sasuke with an oncoming argument. Ever since he came to this school as a freshman all they've done is gone at each other's throats. Despite this, he doesn't feel any legitimate resentment towards the guy. He was honest last night; the only problem he has with Sasuke is how high and mighty he acts.

Naruto isn't going to get any answers tonight, though. It's as if all his teachers teamed up to make his night miserable, because he has an essay to write in three different classes, and four different assignments to complete. One of those essays and assignments has to be written in Japanese. Kanji. Not even the nice and easy hiragana; no. The full deal. Jesus, why did he let Jiraiya guilt trip him into taking that language?

One saving grace is he's off from work tonight, so he can go straight home and just do homework. Though that idea makes him want to just start crying. Naruto is starting to realize he came totally unprepared for his last semester of school. Here he was thinking, it was going to be so easy. That's hardly been the case so far, and he's only three days in!

"Hey, gramps, I'm home." Naruto calls out into the seemingly empty house. Even when Jiraiya is around, he tends to lock himself up in his study and focus on writing. Not that he gets much work done. No, in order for Jiraiya to really get into his writing, "the muses have to speak to him with great motivations", as he would tell Naruto time and time again. What this really means, is he has to think of something pretty perverted to get the creative forces going. And if he can't think of it? Why, he would just pop himself down to the local strip club and let it walk in front of his face.

Naruto snorts at the thought; that man may be pushing his 50's but he's got more energy and perverted desires than a 16-year-old boy. Naruto knows this from experience. For his sixteenth birthday, Jiraiya's great plan was to take him to a strip club for the first time, and when Naruto refused, he was sat down and given a lecture about how sexual urges were nothing to shy away from.

Jiraiya didn't want to hear it when Naruto pointed out that 1) it was illegal to take him into a strip club at 16, and 2) Naruto was much more interested in going over to Shikamaru's house and hanging out with some of the guys. At that, Jiraiya dropped his head in defeat and waved Naruto out of his house, saying he was a lost cause to the wiles of women.

Whatever. Naruto was so not interested in messing around with a bunch of girls. Now, if Sakura would just agree to go out on a date with him… That would be heaven, Naruto thinks.

When Naruto's eighteenth birthday came around just this last year, he was sure Jiraiya was going to be up to his old tricks again. But surprisingly, he left the blonde alone. He took him out to his favorite ramen restaurant, got tickets to see an action movie, and pretty much acted like a normal guardian. It was pretty strange, to be honest. Jiraiya is far from a normal guardian.

"Hey, brat," Jiraiya calls back out in response, "how about ordering a pizza for dinner?" Naruto smiles. Sometimes it's nice to have him around though.

* * *

"We need to meet for the project again." Naruto confusingly turns around to stare up at Sasuke. The hell did he even come from? One minute Naruto was standing at his locker, alone in a deserted hallway because he got to school a bit too early, and the next he has this phantom voice making demands from him. As usual.

Oh, and now that the project is suddenly important again, Sasuke relearns how to acknowledge the blonde's existence? Naruto rolls his eyes. "I work tonight, teme. And tomorrow and Saturday."

Sasuke doesn't seem to be taking no for an answer. "What time do you get off tonight?"

Naruto looks at Sasuke; really looks at him. The raven seems annoyed that he has to be standing there, forcing an answer out of Naruto, but he doesn't seem to be angry. He has that typical blank expression that holds just a trace of contempt, but that's usual for Sasuke. Naruto doesn't see any sign that he wants to lash out, which calms the blonde down quite a bit. Maybe Sasuke just didn't care yesterday, and Naruto was blowing things out of proportion.

"I'm supposed to get off at 8. Sometimes I stay over…" Naruto seems to be talking more to himself than to Sasuke at the moment. "But I guess I can sit down for a bit and do the assignment with you, and then go back to work."

Sasuke nods briefly and starts to walk away. "Then I'll be there at 8. Don't forget and get sidetracked, dobe."

"Teme!" The blonde calls rashly at Sasuke's retreating figure. I take it all back, Naruto thinks. The guy does piss me off!

Java's is packed. It seems an art seminar just let out at a nearby theater, and several of the college students decided to drop in. A steady stream of people keeps coming through the door, leaving Naruto with no option of moving from his post. AJ likes for him to take orders during rushes, since he's such a natural people person.

Naruto smiles widely at the pretty girl in front of him as he greets her, though he's just hoping she orders quickly and he can get this lined thinned out. It's nearly eight o'clock, and Naruto really doesn't want to keep Sasuke waiting. He'll never hear the end of it. He keeps eyeing the entrance warily, waiting for any sign of the jerk.

"Naruto, do you think we could trade? I can't keep up." The anxious voice of the barista comes from the espresso machine. Naruto's eyes shift to her, noting the panic on her face.

"Sure, Hotaru." Naruto moves for her to come and take his place, while he starts making all the orders she hasn't gotten to yet. Thankfully, she isn't really behind. The order she was working on just had four specialized coffees and sweets.

It takes Naruto another twenty minutes of preparing orders before everyone is finally sitting down and out of his damn line. Thank God. His joy is short-lived though, when he realizes it's twenty minutes past eight.

He scans the room, trying to find a familiar face. There's no sign of Sasuke, though. Maybe he came in and got tired of waiting, and so he left again? The onset of disappointment Naruto feels startles him. Why should he be upset that the bastard didn't stay to do the assignment? He should be happy that he got out of it!

"Hey kid, wipe that expression of your face. He's here." Naruto, shocked, looks up to see AJ standing in front of him with a hand on her hip. "He came in about half an hour ago. He's sitting back at the alcove. Why don't you make him a double shot and clock out?"

So, Naruto does just that. He carries two mugs towards the alcove booth, and sure enough, Sasuke is sitting there. "Hey," Naruto says nervously. "Sorry for taking so long."

"Figured you would." The smug expression on Sasuke's face needs to be knocked right off.

"Come on, you see how many people are here! It's not like I had a choice!" But even as he says it, Naruto can see there is no real anger on Sasuke's face. He's slightly smirking at the blonde, but there's no hostility.

As Naruto is setting out his notebook to get this done and over with, he feels himself being watched. Glancing up, he gives Sasuke's inquisitive expression a glare. "What?"

"You don't change out of your school uniform for work?"

Naruto unceremoniously glances down at his outfit. He's still wearing the white collared shirt and navy blue tie that makes up part of the dress code. He ditched the matching jacket in his car before he came in. Shrugging his shoulders, he replies, "AJ says it looks good on me, so I don't waste my time changing."

Sasuke scoffs and rolls his eyes, but doesn't comment further. This whole topic though has drawn Naruto's attention to the raven's attire. He did happen to change, and it dawns on Naruto this is the first time he's ever seen him out of the school outfit.

Naruto has to begrudgingly admit, Sasuke looks good in the maroon sweater. _Really_ good. It looks suspiciously like Sasuke simply threw the sweater over his school shirt, because there's a white collar peeking out from the top. He bets half the girls at Kasai would blow their top to see the raven right now. Especially Sakura.

That thought causes Naruto to scowl. "Let's just get this done, okay?" If Sasuke is insulted by the biting tone, he doesn't show it.

"These questions seem to leave off from the first assignment. First," Sasuke clicks his pen open and glances up to Naruto, "what is the difference between society and culture?"

"Am I supposed to know the answer to that?"

Sasuke scowls. "You're not going to learn anything if you expect me to answer everything."

"I don't! It's just, it's not like all this is common sense! Isn't there a book or something that we should be following along with?"

Sasuke just barely shrugs his shoulders. "Probably. But Kakashi isn't the kind of teacher to hand out books when he thinks you can figure it out yourself."

"Yeah, well, he needs to rethink his strategy." Naruto mutters angrily and crosses his arms over his chest in a huff.

"Would you even use the book if you had one?"

Naruto opens his mouth to say of course he would! But… He knows better than that. "Probably not. But the reasoning still stands!"

Sasuke scoffs and rolls his eyes. Naruto swears if Sasuke does that any more often, his eyes will roll back in his head and stay there.

"Better start writing, dobe. Society is, by definition, a group of people living together under a certain set of rules and regulations. Society operates in organized communities. On the other hand, culture is a collection of human beliefs and practices that can be found throughout society. Typically, when someone speaks of society, they are just talking about a large, general amount of people. Culture is the manifestation of customs and traditions found throughout society."

"Next, how does Social Psychology play a role in culture, as opposed to society?" Again, Sasuke looks to Naruto, seeing if he might have the answer.

Naruto lets out a low, annoyed groan under his breath. "I guess… in culture, it's a lot more rigid, right? Like, because of traditions and stuff, people don't have as much free will to think and do whatever they want. I mean, society is pretty opinionated as well, but there's a blend of all sorts of beliefs, so more things get accepted. For example, each religion has its own set of rules and beliefs. And if you consider yourself a part of that religion, then you're kind of stuck with having to follow what is expected, as opposed to what you really feel."

Sasuke nods his head. "Agreed. The answer will suffice. Third question, and don't let this fry your brain." Sasuke gives Naruto a small smirk, earning him an angry pout. "Once someone begins to observe a subject, doesn't that which is being observed change?"

The gears in Naruto's head start to turn at that. Is that a trick question? "Wouldn't it kind of depend?" He starts musing out loud. "Like, whether or not the subject knows they're being studied? If someone just decided to randomly start watching people and making observations based on what they see, then nothing is really going to change, because no one is aware."

"And if the subject does know they're being watched?

"Well, I suppose maybe the person or group of people might try to change how they at, to maybe appear better or more… Good. But I don't think it would last for long, before they revert back to their actual personalities."

"What does that mean for the data collected?"

Naruto sighs. Why is he the only one answering these things? Oh, right. Because Sasuke thinks he already knows everything, and he's wanting to torment Naruto. "For the first situation, I think the data would be pretty unaffected and good to go. For the second, I think some of it would be biased. Though that could factor into the study as well, how it's like, human nature to want to seem better than you are."

Sasuke nods in agreement again. "I'll answer the last one. How can we think sociologically?" It's about time he decides to help out, Naruto thinks.

"Don't judge things by your assumptions. The last question on the assignment last week was an example of this. We were asked to give our opinions of each other. To sociologist, opinions are worthless. Data and evidence from a pool of subjects is needed. You can't really say why a person does the things they do, just by assuming you know their life."

Was it just Naruto imagination, or did Sasuke's voice get a little bitter there at the end?

"Question everything you think you know about society. Just because something seems right to you, or familiar or correct, doesn't mean it is. Question the things that go on around you, especially if it's a cultural norm. These are typically beliefs that have been passed down through tradition, and might not have any value to them. Just because it's been that way in the past, doesn't mean it's the way it should be.

"Also, to be human is to err. When you decide to start seeing the world from a sociological standpoint, you're going to end up getting confused about a lot of things you once thought you understood. We are prone to believing that our own beliefs are the correct ones; when we find that others exist, we tend to push them aside or refute them. Sociologists try to understand all viewpoints and figure out a theory."

With that, Sasuke starts to put his things away, while Naruto is still trying to quickly jot down everything he just heard. "When do you work next week?" At this, Naruto's attention snaps up to Sasuke, a little confused.

"Um, I won't know until Friday when AJ hands out the schedules. Why?" Naruto watches as Sasuke writes something down on one of the thick napkins he brought to the table.

"My number." He holds the folded paper out to Naruto, who takes it like it might burn him. "Text me what days you're off, and we can meet here." His eyes narrow for a moment at the blonde. "Only text me for that. I don't want my phone going off all the time for no reason, dobe."

Naruto scoffs. "As if I would text you for any reason other than that, teme! I'm surprised you're not afraid I'll give this number out to all your fangirls."

Sasuke slides out of the booth, journal in tow. "You're not intentionally stupid."

Well, Naruto has to think about that one. Is that a compliment or an insult? I mean, the jerk is still calling him stupid one way or another, so it's not really flattering. But Naruto has no time to argue with the raven about the state of his intelligence, because he's already heading out the door. Does that guy even know how to do greetings and goodbyes?

* * *

The weekend flew by in a blur of coffee mugs and textbooks. Between doing closing shifts and more homework than Naruto ever wants to see again, he had no time for such frivolities as socializing. So when he was throwing all his brought home textbooks and notebooks in his bag Monday morning, he was surprised to see the forgotten number drift out of the notebook he used at the café last.

He stared at it in horror for a moment, before letting out a loud curse. Sasuke is probably pissed off that he didn't get back to him in a timely manner. And the last thing Naruto wants to do today is go into school and deal with an annoyed bastard.

So, he drops his bag in the passenger seat of the jeep and quickly jots the number into his phone. _Hey_ , he types quickly, _I work all week but I have the weekend off. We can meet Fri-Sun?_ He hits send and then wonders if he should have said who it was that was texting… Oh well. If Sasuke can't figure it out, he's not the genius that Naruto has him pegged to be.

Waiting around has never been the blondes strong suit, so he drops the phone in the seat next to him and starts the trek to school. Really, Jiraiya? You just had to build ten miles outside of town, didn't you? Naruto thinks ruefully. Not that he doesn't love the privacy, and the woods are gorgeous in the summer. During the winter though, it's a long, bleak drive down icy roads that never see a plow. What takes fifteen or so minutes during the summer, takes thirty in the winter. Naruto doesn't like one bit of that.

When he finally pulls into the Kasai student lot, he grabs his phone that just started going off. Good timing, teme, Naruto thinks as he opens the text.

 _Friday and Sunday. I have a council and debate meeting Saturday._ He wants me to come into town just for him on Sunday? Come on… The jeep doesn't get good enough gas mileage for a waste of trip like that.

 _Wouldn't it be easier to just do both assignments Friday?_ Naruto replies back hastily.

 _No. I'm not dealing with you for more than an hour._ Naruto scoffs at the rude text. He can just imagine the smirk that's probably gracing the bastards face.

 _Whatever, teme._ Naruto drops his phone in his pocket and grabs his bag. Maybe next time he'll just demand gas money. Naruto snickers to himself as he imagines the expression on Sasuke's face at such a request.

"Naruto!" Broken out of his thoughts, the blonde looks up to see a familiar mutt propping the glass door to the lobby open, waving to him from inside the building. Shikamaru is standing next to him with his hands in his pockets, and Choji is making friends with a vending machine just inside the school doors. A grin breaks out on Naruto's face, and he stalks over to Kiba. Something about today just feels like it'll be a good one.

* * *

That Monday ends up being the only good day. His teachers seem to think that adding one more assignment each week is the best way to make everyone hate life. And it's working, by Naruto's standards.

Not only that, but Noriko-sensei busted out the rule that they must speak Japanese in class at all times. Just because he's in Japanese II, doesn't mean he has the _knowledge_ to be in Japanese II… He simply got lucky enough to pass the exam last year.

And for some reason, his cooking game has been off all week. Every recipe they've been assigned to make he's managed to mess up! That never happens; cooking is one area of life that Naruto excels at. But not this week, no sir. This week he bombed.

When Friday afternoon finally came around, he thought he was home free. He's just got out of his cooking class and is throwing his books in his locker when he sees someone walking over to him. At first he thinks it's Sasuke, coming to confirm their meeting. But when he glances up, he isn't greeted with a scowling raven, but a smiling pinkette.

"Oh, hey Sakura," Naruto straightens up hurriedly. "What's up?"

"Hey, Naruto. Um, I was just wondering…" She trails off and bites her lip, but seems to find her words rather quickly again. "Did you ask Sasuke? Because he hasn't said anything to me, but I was thinking he might ask tomorrow after the council meeting." She's looking up at Naruto like he might hold the answers to her universe.

Unfortunately for him, he doesn't have any idea what she's talking about. "Sorry Sakura, but what was I supposed to ask Sasuke?" He does seem to dimly recall something she had asked about once before, but damn… It just isn't coming to him. Had he been busy at the time and not paid her much attention?

Sakura sighs in irritation and stamps her foot. "You were supposed to ask him to ask me out on a date!"

Naruto stares blankly at her. Really? Fucking really? She legitimately expected him to do that? "Sakura," Naruto starts slowly, not even sure what he wants to say. His emotions aren't even responding the way he expected them to. He's not angry that she's so obviously not interested in him. He gets that. But he is angry that she thinks she can use him to get what she wants. Why would Naruto ask someone else to ask the girl he's crushing on, to take her out on a date? "Sakura, I think you're really delusional." There. He said it.

"Between the idea that Sasuke is interested in you, because he's never returned a single one of your advances, and the idea that I would get him to ask you out?" Naruto shakes his head and backs away from the girl who looks like she's about to cry. "I'm sorry, but you can't really expect me to do that. And you can't expect me to feel sorry for you, after asking such a shitty thing." And with that, Naruto walks away from her before she can say anything, down the stairs to the main lobby, and out to the parking lot.

At which point, he starts to have a mental breakdown.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! Did I really just say that to Sakura? Naruto's internal dialogue screams at him. Fuck, she's never going to speak to me again! Bye, all my dreams of taking her out on dates. Goodbye, my entire fantasy life of being her boyfriend. All gone. All because Uzumaki Naruto can't hold his feelings in when he's been hurt. Oh no, that would be too wise of an action. Naruto leans his head against the door of his jeep and closes his eyes. What was he thinking, going off like that to her? If anyone knows how to hold a grudge, it's that girl. Hell, her and Ino used to hate each other because of Sasuke. Of course, then Ino came in to Java's one day while Sai was working, and her interest quickly switched to a different raven. At which point, the girls began to tolerate each other again.

If Naruto thought he had any hope with Sakura, it was gone now. What disturbs Naruto most is… He doesn't care. Not really. Sure, he's going through the motions of being torn up about it, but his chest doesn't ache with the pain of a broken heart. His mind isn't jumbling up in ways to get her to speak to him again. And he's certainly not crying over the loss. If anything he feels… Liberated. Like somehow, by accepting that crush was never going to work out, he's freed a part of himself.

How the blonde feels about that little revelation is a concern for another day. He opens his eyes and sees the dash of his jeep blinking out 2:00PM. He wasted twenty minutes - of what he's sure Sasuke considers his time - messing around at his locker and out here in the parking lot, instead of at Java's doing stupid psychological studies.

He pries the door open and slams it loudly, venting off a little frustration. Just because he's not mourning the loss of his four-year crush doesn't mean he's not annoyed by the conversation.

"You know, teme, I don't know what's so fantastic about you," Naruto immediately lets in when he gets to the booth the raven is sitting at, "but it really pisses me off." He drops his bag on the floor and slides into the opposite seat from Sasuke in a fit of pique.

Sasuke manages to scowl incredulously and raise an eyebrow at the fuming blonde. "What is this about?"

"You! All about you! As always!" Naruto hopes his glare is as harsh as he wants it to be.

"That really narrows it down, dobe."

"Sakura wants you to take her out on a date." Naruto all but spits the words out.

Sasuke rolls his eyes and loses some of the venom in his expression. "Tell me something I don't know." Maybe he realized that none of Naruto's seething anger has subsided, because he adds "why does that have you so worked up?"

"She asked me to tell you. She's expecting an offer tomorrow at the meeting." Naruto really can't help how annoyed he is. He doesn't even understand why he's as annoyed as he is. He's not jealous over Sakura wanting to go out with Sasuke and not him. He's jealous… that Sasuke might want to go out with her. But that doesn't make any sense, Naruto muses to himself. If he doesn't care about one, he shouldn't care about the other, right? So why is the idea working itself under his skin so badly?

"She won't be getting one. Now, if you don't mind, can we start the assignment?"

As if a defuse button is hit in Naruto's brain, he calms down instantly. There's really no point in getting so angry with Sasuke for something he had nothing to do with. The raven certainly never asks Sakura to bother him; quite the contrary. Naruto chuckles sheepishly, all the annoyance suddenly flooding out of his body in one great sigh. It's amazing how fast one person can switch emotions. "Sure, teme. Just let me get a drink and something to eat first, yeah?"

Sasuke rolls his eyes but makes no complaints. Now that he's calming down, Naruto notices that Sasuke already has a cup of his own in front of him, though it's empty. "Want another?" Naruto motions to the cup as he stands up. At the slight nod from Sasuke, he takes the mug up to the counter with him.

"Hey AJ, where's the help?" Naruto leans against the counter and peers around to the office door. AJ has it propped so she can see any customers that come up to the counter. At the sound of Naruto, she gets up, stretches, and comes out of her space.

"Sai called in. Said he wasn't feeling well and needed the night off. He's the only one I schedules because he's usually pretty capable on his own."

Naruto snorts. "Of course. Everyone gets sick on Fridays, right?" But his features soften when he realizes the implications of her being alone on Friday. "Do you want me to stay? I gotta do this assignment with Sasuke, but then I'm free."

She smiles at him sweetly. "Sure, if you want to. By no means have to if you have plans."

"Nah, it's alright! I can always use the money." Especially if that bastard is going to expect him to make weekend trips into town for no good reason.

"Alright. What can I get for you while you're up here?"

"I want a mocha today. And get that jerk a refill of whatever he had, please. And also a piece of chocolate cake!" Naruto speaks enthusiastically and pushes the mug towards his laughing manager.

"Alright, kid. Go sit down and I'll have this out in a moment."

Sitting back down again, Naruto awkwardly peers up at Sasuke. "Sorry about blowing up at you."

Sasuke barely spares Naruto any attention before replying. "I'm used to it from you, dobe. You speak first and think later."

"If you actually cared about anything, you would get upset over certain things too."

"You have no idea what sort of things I care about." At the leveled gaze, Naruto pipes down. It feels like he might be hitting sensitive territory, and one argument with Sasuke per day is enough.

Thankfully, this is when AJ decides to drop by and set down all the promised refreshments. Naruto beams at her like she brought him heaven on a plate, and Sasuke quietly thanks her.

"Let's just do today's part of the project, alright?" Naruto sighs happily as he bites into a forkful of chocolate cake. A few crumbs fall onto his third assignment sheet as he looks it over. "Question one," he begins roughly, "How do personal opinions and attitudes influence how we respond to people?"

Sasuke sends a pointed glance at Naruto. "I think you just finished displaying a physical answer to this."

"Whatever, teme. We'll skip it. It seems like a pretty obvious questions anyways."

"Are people built with lie detectors? Can you tell when someone is lying to you?" Sasuke narrows his eyes at the paper, but Naruto decides to just get it over with.

"I don't think everyone can tell when people are lying; if they could, we wouldn't need jury's during court. I think I can tell when people are lying. They usually do something shady while they're lying, giving them away."

"The second part of the question is, ask six questions total and see if you can tell if your partner is lying. Have these questions pertain to a social context."

Both boys stare blankly at each other. Naruto diverts his eyes and runs a hand through his hair. "I don't know what kind of questions you'll come up with, but I'm not really fond of discussing my life."

This gets a new kind of look from Sasuke. A sort of smirking, raised eyebrow, how-can-I-torture-you-with-this-info sort of look. Naruto doesn't like it one bit.

"I'll ask the first one." Naruto tries to rapidly think of some sort of socially inclined question he can ask. Well, how do we get our first insight into culture? Naruto ponders that for a moment. "Who all is in your family?"

Unexpectedly, Naruto gets a scowl at this. What's so wrong with that question? Even Naruto isn't bothered to answer it, and he has every right to be. Hell, his family is dead.

"My family life is unimportant," is the clipped response Naruto gets.

"Come on, teme. That's not an answer. Hell, I can't even call it a lie. You're just refusing to answer." Naruto sighs and decides to just take the plunge. "I'll answer first, okay? My parents passed away a long time ago. Never had any siblings. My god father took custody of me almost immediately, so I've never seen an orphanage."

There's something akin to understanding in Sasuke's eyes; something Naruto is not used to receiving from his peers. Usually when he tells people this, they get a look of shocked horror on their faces and start apologizing left and right. Naruto has come to hate that response. It makes him feel guilty for sharing his past with people.

"You're not lying. You're too open about what you say, and show no signs of discomfort while talking about it."

Naruto grins. "I don't lie! It's not good for the soul." This gets a scoff from the raven.

"My question: Have you always been so carefree and foolishly open?"

Naruto's smile falters as he thinks back to… No, he doesn't want to go there. Dammit. How did that bastard manage to hit down on the one sort of topic he didn't want to do?

"No, I haven't. Next question." Naruto glares at Sasuke when he looks like he's about to demand a better explanation. "You won't talk about your family; I'm not talking about that." Naruto runs a hand through his hair and tries to think of another question. "Are you happy with your life?" He asks as he looks back to Sasuke inquisitively.

"I'm happy with who I am and the goals I've accomplished, and the goals I know I will accomplish in the future."

"That doesn't really answer the question," Naruto says slowly. "I get that you would be pleased with yourself; you're good academically, and can't even complain on a physical side. But are you happy with the way your life is? The things that go on around you, and not just because of you?"

"Are you?" The sharp edge of Sasuke's voice takes Naruto aback.

"I'm…. Not happy with the past. But I have no complaints about the here and now. And I think my future looks pretty bright."

"What do you plan on doing in the future?" Sasuke asks suddenly. If Naruto didn't know better, he'd say he was trying to change the topic.

"Is that your next question?" Sasuke nods, and waits for Naruto to go on. "I want to own and operate my own restaurant. It's why I work here. I like the experience. Baking is my favorite thing to do when it comes to cooking."

"Then why not open a bakery, instead of a full restaurant?"

"Mm," Naruto has to think how to answer to make it understandable. It's a question he's asked himself before when considering which one he wants to do. "I want a place that families can come and spend time together. Actually sit down over a meal and have fun. Not just quickly drop in to grab a snack and head back out to the streets or to work or wherever. What about you? What are your plans?"

Sasuke turns his gaze to the window and takes a moment to answer. "I'm going to university for Criminal Psychology and Forensic Science."

Naruto's eyes widen considerably. "Oh, wow. Isn't that a lot to take on?"

"Not for me." There's that smirk again.

"What do you want to do with a double major like that?"

"There would be several different career options, but Forensic Scientist is what I'm interested in, with the ability assist law enforcement and profile criminals."

"What made you want to do that? It sounds overwhelming to me." The thought of having to mess with crime scene evidence and talk to probably-psychotic perps is not one of interest to Naruto.

"Events in my life turned me to that profession."

Naruto eyes Sasuke questionably for a moment, before shrugging his shoulders and letting the topic drop. The blonde is beginning to be able to tell what things Sasuke does or doesn't want to speak of. "It's your turn."

"Why are you interested in Sakura?"

At first, Naruto does a double take and repeats the question in his head to make sure he understood correctly. Then he openly gapes. "What? That's what you want to waste your last question on?" When he gets nothing but a pointed, raised eyebrow, he shakes his head and sighs.

"Well, prior to today, I thought she was the most beautiful, intelligent, and sweet girl I had ever met. Sure, she's a little hard headed and difficult to deal with sometimes, but I just knew underneath it, she was perfect."

"Prior to today?"

Naruto nods. "After she asked me… Well," Naruto has the decency to blush at the memory of his tantrum, "I kind of realized that I've been caring less and less about being with her."

Sasuke tilts his head to the side and studies Naruto. "Then why did you get so upset with me?"

"Just because I'm letting that crush go, doesn't change the fact that it pisses me off how everyone treats you."

"I didn't ask for them to treat me in any certain way, dobe. People will do what they want. I have no interest in having a fan club, or girls falling all over me, or dobe's starting fights because they're jealous." Naruto sticks his tongue out at the teasing lilt of Sasuke's insult.

"I get that… But it doesn't make it any easier, ya know."

A change of topic must be in order for Sasuke, because he promptly says "I think we've done more than enough impromptu questions."

The blonde isn't going to deny that. "Damn right," Naruto agrees. "I think this turned into a small game of hard mode twenty questions, instead of seeing if we can tell who's lying."

"I have no reason to lie. If I don't want to answer something truthfully, I just won't answer."

"Yeah, I noticed that," Naruto replies dryly. He receives a small smirk, before Sasuke gets back to business.

"How do you perceive social norms in society?"

"If by social norms, you mean how everyone plays follow the leader on topics, then I perceive them all as stupid, but extremely… Compelling. It's hard to go against what everyone else in your life thinks is right."

"I agree; social norms are senseless. Everything becomes a flock mentality. Do you follow social norms or follow personal beliefs?" Again, Sasuke waits for Naruto to answer first.

"I have a lot of personal beliefs, and I think I adhere to them pretty well. And I'm pretty stubborn and have a hard time accepting other people's views, I do know that. But I don't feel like I follow social norms?" Naruto ends off in a question, not really sure he's convinced of that last part. In fact, he knows he's not. When he was younger, he would get into a lot of trouble by being "different" from everyone else, and that caused him a bit of hell for several years. So when he finally realized he just had to act like everyone else – and switch schools – things got much better.

"I follow my own beliefs. Social norms do not concern me. Last question: What do you feel your social identity is?"

"What? How do you ever answer that? What is a social identity?" If Kakashi's goal with this project was to have a very confused blonde, he certainly excelled.

"It means, what do you take pride in? What gives you a sense of self-esteem as far as society is concerned?"

"Oh," is the bleak reply from Naruto. "I… Don't really think I have anything like that. I'm proud to be who I am, because I've dealt with things that a lot of other people haven't, but they're not things I'm proud to have happened."

Sasuke gives a simple "hn" in response. It seems he's already noticed when to not push a conversation, too. "I take pride in my family ancestry and my own personal accomplishments."

"Are you ever gonna tell me about your family?" No harm in trying one more time, is there.

But instead of an answer, Sasuke starts to pack up his belongings. Naruto rolls his eyes and leans back in his seat to watch. Even with something as simple as putting school supplies back in his bag, Sasuke is extremely methodical. He has a designated compartment for everything.

"My family has been broken for many years." Naruto snaps his attention to Sasuke, but he's already pushing off from the booth and heading for the exit. "Don't forget Sunday, dobe."

Naruto thinks about the way he phrased that answer for a moment longer, but his thoughts gets quickly cut off. A group of teenage girls just walked into the café, giggling and whispering to each other while they point back towards the door. Naruto can just imagine they're talking about Sasuke.

He shakes his head but stands up to start his inadvertent shift. It's going to be a long night.

* * *

While Naruto didn't forget about Sunday, he had no idea what time he was supposed to meet up with the raven. They might have set a date, but forgot about the time part of the equation. He groans and rolls over in his bed, cuddling into his pillow. All he really wants is one weekend to himself. Is that too much to ask? No homework, no socializing… Just him and his bed, reacquainting themselves for a few hours.

He doesn't think Sasuke is gonna go for that, though. Naruto reaches out a blind hand to feel around for his phone. He knows it's somewhere near the edge of his bed. Ahah! His hand closes around the metal case and he pulls it towards his body, rolling back again to face the ceiling.

 _What time?_ Was the quick message he sent Sasuke. Blunt, concise, and to the point.

Dear lord, if he says any time within the hour… Naruto checks the time. Ten in the morning. If he wants to do anything before noon, his ass might just be waiting till Naruto decides to show up. Nobody should have to do anything before noon on a Sunday.

His phone vibrates from an incoming message, and he flicks it on to see the verdict.

 _If you come to Akimichi's by noon, I'll buy lunch. Otherwise, 1 at Java's._

Naruto stares at the text disbelievingly. The teme is offering to buy him lunch? Naruto is starting to wonder if he ever even really woke up, or if he's still dreaming.

Whatever. Naruto can roll with it. Offerings of free food are always a good way to get him out and about. Akimichi's is one of the best restaurants in Konoha, and the owner always gives him a pretty nice discount when he does go, for being friends with his son. It might also help that Naruto always praises the food to no end; the Akimichi's really know how to serve a good meal!

 _I'm down for lunch._ Dropping his phone back on his bed, Naruto slides off his bed quickly and starts padding around his room. No sense in lying there for the next hour and then rushing to get prepared. He grabs a casual outfit of a black shirt and old jeans before heading into the shower.

Oh, the shower. The best part of any winter morning; at least once you get to the hot water part. He will be damned if he'll ever admit it, but the blonde can stay in the shower for an hour, so long as the hot water keeps coming.

That can't happen today though, oh no. Today he has a lunch date with Sasuke. Naruto's eyes widen at the context of the thought. Jesus, why does his heart speed up when he thinks of it like that? Of course it's not a real date! It's just… lunch. With Sasuke. No big deal.

But it is a big deal, his mind whispers to him. How often do you think Sasuke invites people out with him? Probably not often, to be honest. Naruto wasn't even aware the guy knew how to ask someone out socially to begin with.

That's still no reason to get worked up over it, he reasons. Maybe Naruto has just provided such amazing company these last couple weeks, that Sasuke is finally coming around to see how wonderful he is. Naruto wonders if hanging around with Uchiha's contributes to inflated egos.

What can he even do about it, though? So what if he gets a little wound up at the idea of spending actual social time with Sasuke, and not just academic time. Chalk it up to nerves. Sasuke is not the typical person Naruto would choose to spend any time with, at school or anywhere else. So this sudden change in their dynamic is naturally going to make him out of sorts! No deeper meaning to it than that.

It's on this mindset that Naruto finishes his morning activities and heads into town.

Businesses and restaurants are fairly centralized in Konoha; if you find one, you're bound to find lots of others. For this reason, everything in town tries to specialize so as not to deal with major competition. For Akimichi's, they specialize in Japanese cuisine; a culture that, whether or not he liked it, Naruto was immersed in from a young age.

While the blonde was raised in the good ol' USA, Jiraiya is from Japan. In fact, Naruto's father was too. When he was in his early 20's, he moved to Los Angeles, where he met Naruto's mother. When his parents decided they were definitely going to settle down there, they offered to let Jiraiya come stay with them for a while, and see how he liked the US.

He loved it.

As such, he decided to just stay here. Though, he wasn't interested in staying in one place. He wanted to travel everywhere, though Naruto firmly believes Las Vegas is his heaven on earth. When Naruto's parents passed, Jiraiya did stay for a while in one place. He moved them up to Konoha, Washington, though. Something about L.A being no place to raise a child.

One of Naruto's earliest memories is Jiraiya taking him to Akimichi's. He told him he was going to teach Naruto a thing or two about his culture by introducing him to one of the greatest uniters: Food. To this day, Naruto has never disagreed with him about that. Japanese food is amazing. Especially ramen. Oh sweet gods, ramen. There's nothing else like it.

Naruto pulls into the parking lot of the restaurant about ten minutes early, and lets out a sigh of relief when he sees Sasuke's Camaro in the front row. It's not like he was afraid Sasuke was just messing with him, not at all. He might have been a little afraid though that he changed his mind. The blonde parks his jeep next to Sasuke's car, and decides it's now or never. He pulls his phone from his pocket as it starts vibrating, and lo and behold, Sasuke is calling him. Naruto stares at the phone dubiously. Should he even answer it? He sighs and slides the bar to the right. The guy is about to buy him lunch; the least he can do is answer a call.

"What's up?" Naruto walks and talks at the same time, trying to not nervously glance up to the building.

"Stop dawdling outside and hurry up." Sasuke's snarky voice comes through crystal clear.

Naruto snorts and rolls his eyes. "It's a little creepy that you're watching me, teme."

"Hn. Just tell the waiter to seat you with me." And with that, he hangs up. That jerk really doesn't know how to say goodbye. I'm gonna have to take it upon myself to teach him manners, Naruto thinks. Of course, no one has ever particularly complimented his manners either.

When he steps inside the warm building, a waiter is quick to greet him politely, until she realizes who it is.

"Naruto! What are you doing here?" TenTen, a girl a year older than Naruto, who he had been good friends with while she was still going to Kasai, happily hugs him quickly before stepping back.

"I was offered a free lunch!" He gives her a bright smile. "Speaking of which, can you take me to Sasuke?"

TenTen stops in the middle of gathering a menu and silverware, and just stares at Naruto in shock. "You're here… With Sasuke?" She pauses for moment. Naruto can tell the poor girl is just absolutely lost. "But you guys never got along! You were constantly pushing each other's buttons! What the heck happened in the last semester?"

"Well," Naruto chuckles sheepishly and rubs the back of his neck, "it wasn't the last semester. More like the last two weeks. Kakashi gave us a project together, so we've been around each other a lot. He's not so bad, I guess," Naruto begrudgingly admits.

"Wow. Never thought I would hear you say that." TenTen motions for him to follow her, and takes him around the lobby and towards a row of booths.

"How are you and Neji?" At the question, TenTen blushes but can't contain a smile.

"We're doing really good. He's actually pretty easy to live with."

Naruto laughs and shakes his head. "I can't imagine that. The guy can be so difficult." They round a corner, and now Naruto can see the raven he's been thinking about since waking up. Once again, Naruto is struck by how _good_ he looks in street clothes. It's not really fair to give one mortal man so many striking traits.

"Hey." Naruto tries to sound casual, but he's afraid too many of his nerves seep into his tone. The smirk on Sasuke's face and slight nod of his head do nothing to ease his fears.

"What can I get you to drink Naruto?" TenTen has her waitress face back on, and the casual relationship between them is replaced with the polite service.

"Ah, tea please." Naruto glances to Sasuke to see he already has a glass in front of him, but no food.

"Okay and in the meantime, I'll leave you to decide what you want."

"What made you want to come here?" Naruto opens the simple but attractive menu, honing in on the ramen selection immediately.

"It's been awhile since I came." Naruto internally snorts. Hello Sasuke, king of responses that don't directly answer the question at hand.

"Well, I'm not gonna argue with your choice of place. I love Akimichi's."

"We used to come here often."

Oh, this is new. Who is this "we" he speaks of? What better way to find out then to ask? So Naruto does just that.

Sasuke doesn't say anything immediately, so Naruto goes back to reading his menu. Best way to work with Sasuke is to not push.

"My brother and I used to come here, when he still lived at home."

Again, the fact that he's getting a response causes Naruto's attention to snap up. "I didn't know you had any siblings!"

Sasuke nods. "Only my brother."

Wow, how many other things was Naruto missing out knowing about Sasuke?

Questions would have to wait till later though, because at this time, TenTen comes back over with Naruto's tea. "Are you boys ready to order?"

"Um, I am." Naruto can't tell if Sasuke has found anything to eat yet, and isn't sure whether to start ordering. But with a short nod from Sasuke, he immediately brightens up and turns his attention to TenTen. "I want the original spicy miso ramen, with all the toppings!"

TenTen jots his order down, and turns her attention to Sasuke. "Katsuobushi Onigiri." She nods once, finishes writing, and then smiles warmly at them.

"Okay, I'll get this in."

"All the toppings, dobe?"

Naruto laughs and leans back in his seat. "Don't worry, it won't cost you much! The owner will give us a pretty nice discount." At this, Naruto gets a raised eyebrow and the obvious wish for him to explain more. Naruto shrugs his shoulders, the good humored smile still in place. "I'm friends with Choji, and so his dad is always pretty generous towards me."

"Everyone adores you, it seems."

The blonde's smile falters, and he shrugs his shoulders morosely. "Wasn't always like that." Naruto hopes Sasuke doesn't push this topic, but he knows if he doesn't give some form of answer, it will only strengthen the raven's resolve to get him to talk. "It used to be pretty rough, when I went to school on the east side of town." Naruto tries to put on a bright smile again, but just can't seem to manage it. "But things are different now. Better." Naruto breathes in a deep sigh and decides to change the subject. "How did your meetings go yesterday?"

Sasuke surveys Naruto for a moment, seeming to debate on what to say. "The girls want to do a bake sale to raise funds for prom."

"Prom? But that's already school funded. Why do we need more?"

"Exactly my point." Sasuke sighs and scowls. "They want to go overboard because it's our senior year."

"Oh… Well, I could help out if you decide to do it."

"It's a bit cliché, though, isn't it?"

"It's a classic! A time honored tradition!"

Sasuke's mouth tugs up at the side in a way Naruto has never seen before. Almost like he's… smiling. "Your opinion is a little biased."

"I won't disagree." Naruto gives a cheeky grin.

"We're having a meeting Wednesday and vote then. I'll let you know the outcome."

"Awesome!" Naruto's heart skips a beat; did Sasuke really just say that he will purposefully contact him? For something that doesn't include their forced project? Then Naruto remembers that he is indeed on a lunch date with Sasuke, and this shouldn't be such strange news.

Naruto shivers a bit and shakes the whole situation from his mind. "And the debate team? Naruto scrunches his nose in distaste. "What does a debate team even do?"

"There's no real purpose to it. A topic is chosen, we choose which side we're on, then build a case. After about a week of preparation, we start the actual debate."

"Is that to help with your Forensic Detective career? To be able to build a good case that would hold up in court?"

Sasuke arches an eyebrow. "Very insightful, dobe."

Naruto beams. "I just remember things you tell me." The expression on Sasuke's face at this statement is a cross between smugness and uncertainty. As if something about the statement pleases him, but it also makes him upset.

Naruto quickly decides that the more he learns about Sasuke, the more confused he gets. The guy seems to fluctuate between different emotions, but Naruto can't pin a single one of them down. The blonde is usually pretty good about figuring people out; freakishly so. He's very in tune with other people's emotions and knowing how to help them. But not Sasuke. Not in the least.

"Here's your food." TenTen suddenly pops up out of nowhere with a tray of food. Oh, Naruto can feel his mouth salivating at the delicious aroma emanating from that bowl.

All conversation ceases as they begin to eat. That one track mind is running in full at the moment, and the only thing on it is ramen.

"Is everything good?" Naruto nods at TenTen as he gulps down his mouthful of noodles. "Do you need any refills?" Both boys tell her no, and she sets the ticket platter down. Sasuke is already prepared, and immediately slips a black card onto the tray. TenTen walks off to get things taken care of.

"So good!" Naruto leans back happily in his seat as he sets down his chopsticks. "Thank you," he says sincerely. Sasuke nods in return.

TenTen returns momentarily and exchanges a quick goodbye with Naruto, giving Sasuke a suggestive glance on her way off.

It doesn't seem to faze the raven, and he gives his attention to Naruto. "Are you ready to do this next assignment?"

"Eh, I guess so," Naruto sighs heavily. "They give me headaches." Both boys push out of the booth.

"You're not used to thinking of concepts in a psychological way."

Naruto scoffs. "Most people aren't, teme." Stepping out into the bright afternoon comes as a shocking contrast to the dim atmosphere of the restaurant, earning a groan of irritation from Naruto. "Does it have to be so bright all the time?"

Apparently Sasuke doesn't realize this is a rhetorical question, because he responds with "I wonder that about you often."

But before Naruto can respond to the unprecedented retort, Sasuke is shutting his car door. Oh well, he can bother him some more at the coffee shop.


	3. Environments

**Author's Note :** If you're still here reading this, awesome! Glad you like it enough to continue. Perhaps you like it enough to do a little assignment?

I was thinking about the title of this story, and I realized that the poem behind the name is pretty important. Meaning that, if I was going to publish this as a book, it would be right after the table of contents. So if you would like to do a bit of "search the web and read backstory things", type the title of this story into Google, and read the poem by the same name. The version I enjoy is an adaptation by David Wiesner.

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 **Beta's Note :** How many of you are going to read the poem? I highly suggest it. I really liked it and I'm usually not one for longer poems. As always, hopefully you enjoy the chapter! Leave a review and let us know what you think, we're always keeping them in mind. We discuss how to work things in.

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 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse. **  
**

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

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 **Chapter 3 : Environments**

* * *

The bell dings as the two boys walks into the empty café. Naruto can't speak for Sasuke, but the blonde is extremely happy to be in the familiar warmth of Java's.

"I'm going to start charging you boys rent," AJ teases as she walks out of the kitchen, alerted by the chiming of the door.

"Hey, AJ!" Naruto flashes a bright smile at her. "How's it going today?"

"Pretty good. I made that hummingbird cake again, and it turned out pretty good."

Naruto's eyes light up. "Can we have some? Please?"

AJ laughs but nods her head, bending down to grab two saucers from the rack. Naruto turns back to Sasuke, absolutely beaming. "It has pineapple and bananas and walnuts in it! And cream cheese icing. Are you okay with all those things?"

Sasuke gives Naruto that small, almost smile that could possibly be a smirk. "Sure, dobe."

"Great!" Naruto pulls Sasuke to their alcove, not really noting that he's even touching the raven. "AJ," Naruto calls out as he drops his bag on the floor and slides into the booth, "can we have our usual drinks to go with it?"

"Anything for you, darling," is the sarcastically teasing reply.

"You ask too much free stuff from her." Naruto just grins at Sasuke's reprimanding remark.

"It's okay, honest. She tells all her employees they can have whatever they want, on or off duty. And she likes you, so I think you got factored in." Sasuke just rolls his eyes but doesn't protest further.

"Really, you might be surprised at the actual cost of a lot of things. That latte you love so much is only about a dollar to make, and the hot chocolate I like is even less. The cake would probably cost…" Naruto stops to add up the groceries in his head. "About a buck fifty per piece. So really, she's not losing much. When you consider that she'll make it up later."

"Stop giving away business secrets, Naruto." AJ sets the platter of goodies down on the table and moves each item in front of the respective 'customer'.

"I was just telling him why he shouldn't worry about us making you go broke!" Naruto pouts and AJ just laughs.

"I have no problem letting you boys have whatever you want at no charge. Just see it as your coming over to my place for tea. All the time." She winks at them as she walks away, returning to the kitchen.

"Alright," Naruto says around a forkful of cake, "let's do this!" He points to his next assignment sheet and reads off the first question, swallowing first before choking himself. "Do you prefer to go along with a group mentality, or take an individual standpoint?" Naruto scrunches up his nose and stares perplexedly at the sheet. "Didn't we do this stuff Friday?"

"We did a similar set of questions. They're meant to go together."

"Oh. Well, alright. I'm a bit of both. If the group mentality is a good one that I agree with, of course I'll go along with it. If it's not, then I would rather stick to my own individual beliefs." Naruto shovels another forkful of cake into his mouth and waits for Sasuke to answer.

"Group mentality rarely has any good ideas; I prefer to stick to my own standpoints."

Naruto rolls his eyes and grins. "You just think you're the best thing ever, and no one can have a better opinion than you."

Sasuke scoffs, a small smirk playing on his lips. "And when I have you around so often to compare to, that conclusion is easily accessible."

Naruto shakes his mostly empty fork on Sasuke teasingly. "Watch it, teme. I don' have to play nice." The blonde takes another bite of cake, not particularly concerned about the light banter going on between them. It's actually kind of… nice. To be able to sit and tease each other without wanting to smack the other.

"How many group identities do you take part in?" Before Naruto can ask Sasuke what defines a group identity, he starts naming them off. "Things like religion, language, ideology, politics."

"Mm,' Naruto thinks for a moment. "I'm not really religious. Gramps follows Shinto or something like that, where he prays to his ancestors when things aren't going his way. I think that's what my dad practiced too. My mom was a, what's the word?" The blonde stops to think of the religion Jiraiya once told him about. The beginning of it makes him think of a meditating monk… "Omnism! She believed that all religions were correct. I guess I'm kind of that. I don't really believe in any one religion for myself, but I don't think other people are wrong for what they believe in."

"My family typically follows a catholic route, but I don't believe in God." At this, Naruto sharply looks up.

"Don't believe at all? Not even a little bit?"

Sasuke shakes his head no, and something in the look on his face tells him to stop pushing. Except this is Naruto, and that would be next to impossible on such a topic.

"But what do you think happens when we die? Or who controls all the strange things that happen in the world? And why certain events just seem to happen so perfectly coincidently?"

"When we die, that's it. You cease to exist. Strange things happen because the human mind has a tendency to turn the normal into paranormal, and those events you're talking about are exactly that, coincidence."

"I mean, I can see why you think that. Like I said, I would never tell somebody they're wrong for their beliefs. I just don't agree, you know? It's just too sad. I like to think that there's more out there, because I don't feel so lonely when I imagine getting to meet up with my mom and dad again someday." Naruto shrugs his shoulders, but now he doesn't feel like continuing the topic. Those are thoughts he tries desperately to keep away from.

"I speak English fluently, most days," Naruto gives a cheeky grin at Sasuke's scoff and eye roll, "and I also speak Japanese because gramps wanted me to have some knowledge of my cultural heritage. But I speak it way better than I write. Kanji, man." Naruto shakes his head in semi-serious sorrow at the thought of those horrible little things.

"I can speak English, Japanese, Spanish, and French with native fluency. I am proficient in Latin and German."

Naruto openly gapes at the raven. "That's… pretty impressive. You plan on doing a lot of traveling, to need to know all those?"

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders. "I grew up with Japanese being a common language in my house. It is stupid to live this close to California and not know Spanish, and French is fairly easy to learn if you already know a romance language. I wanted to learn Latin for the academic knowledge of it, and I wouldn't mind visiting Germany someday."

"Nice. I have lots of places I want to visit. Travelling Europe is actually a big dream, thought I don't know when I'll ever get to do it." Naruto wistfully thinks of all the things he would see on such a trip, especially the landscapes and scenery. Ah, it would be gorgeous.

"Travelling Europe is something I'm interested in as well," Naruto hears Sasuke say softly. Well, who knew the two of them would have a shared dream? "As for ideologies, I don't have many."

Naruto chuckles sheepishly. "What exactly is the different between an ideology and religion? They pretty much mean the same thing to me."

"Ideology means a person's belief-systems. Religion is an ideology, but it's just one branch. Most people have many different ideologies; it's what shapes their decisions."

"Ah, okay," Naruto nods in slight understanding. "I think that's really difficult to answer. I don't know how to just list the things I believe in. I just… do, ya know?"

Sasuke nods his head curtly. "Then we'll skip it, as I don't wish to discuss them anyways. As for politics, I think it's all a bunch of simpering idiots who do not need their positions of power."

"Not too strong of an opinion there, eh?" Naruto teases. "I really hate politics just because they're so boring and hard to follow. Besides, I don't control what the government does and never will. Not gonna upset my life with pointless worries." The blonde scans his eyes down the paper to find the third question. "How aware are you on a day-to-day basis of these identities?" Letting Sasuke go first, Naruto waits for him to think of his answer. And he doesn't have to wait long.

"Every day." Again, there's a look on Sasuke's face that nearly pains Naruto to see. Sometimes Naruto thinks he has Sasuke pinned down; then he goes and does something like this.

"I guess I'm aware of most of my identities, though I don't really see them as that. It's just who I am. I don't think most people walk around every day, pondering over their own existence and how they fit into the world." At least, Naruto doesn't. That sounds exhausting and a fast train to a mental breakdown. Which could very well explain why Sasuke is how he is.

Wanting to remove that expression from Sasuke's face, Naruto plunges into the next question. "Do these identities heavily influence your behavior and personality?" Well, that question isn't going to help. Naruto is pretty sure the answer for Sasuke is a resounding yes.

"For me," Naruto starts, "I think a lot of my beliefs do affect me, but not in a negative way. I try to take all my experiences and viewpoints and beliefs, and make them something good. Something that can keep me happy and the people around me happy."

"My social identities shape my behavior and personality, and to some extent define who I am." Sasuke glances down to his own paper and reads off the final question. "How many group identities do you and your partner share?" Both boys sit there and think on it. They seem to have a lot of culture in common, Naruto muses. At least with Japanese heritage. Neither care about politics but for different reasons, and Naruto can't help but firmly believe that, even if they did talk about their ideologies, they would have been vastly different.

"We have enough in common to get along and understand each other, yeah?" Naruto smiles softly at Sasuke, and though he doesn't return it as strongly as the blonde would like, he does give Naruto that half smile-smirk he's coming to enjoy.

* * *

Naruto can't help but think a lot of things are different this semester. Different classes, more homework, getting along with Sasuke, the number of cheerleaders that talk to him.

Well, two cheerleaders, actually. Neither of which he really feels like dealing with. Naruto's not even really sure why he's suddenly been cursed with this, anyways. He's never had a problem with either girl till a couple weeks ago. Sure, him and Sakura have had a rocky relationship the whole time they've known each other, but they've never gone off on each other.

But now, he's being pestered by girls once a week. Apparently Sakura had enough last week, or she's refusing to speak to Naruto, because she sent Ino to bother him this dreary, Monday morning.

The blonde girl just pops up at his classroom before homeroom, where he's sitting in the very back of the room and minding his own business. He starts to greet her until he notices the expression on her face.

Oh, boy. Naruto flinches back a bit just from that look. He's heard from Shikamaru how explosive this chick's attitude can get, though Naruto has never witnessed it himself. He doesn't have time to think what he could have done to her before she's in front of him, slamming both hands on his desk and leaning over. If he wasn't scared shitless at the furious blonde in front of him, he might have tried to peek down her blouse. No such risks can be taken right now, though.

"The hell is your problem, Uzumaki?" She slaps her hand down on the desk again for emphasis. "Who do you think you are, talking to Sakura like that?"

At the mention of her name, Naruto's frightened features smooth out into a glare, causing Ino to shrink back a bit. "Seriously, Ino? Since when do you fight Sakura's battles?"

The blonde cheerleader fumes. "I'm not! I'm standing up for a friend!"

Naruto waves his hand dismissively. "Last time I checked, Sakura had two good legs. She can stand up for herself."

"Naruto!" Ino looks thoroughly shocked. "Where is this coming from? You've had a crush on her for years, and now you're suddenly turning against her?"

Naruto sighs and closes his eyes. He is beyond done with this entire topic. "This is coming from me finally realizing that Haruno Sakura is not the girl I painted her to be. She's conceited, self-centered, and yes, delusional." Naruto focuses his glare directly at Ino. "I'm guessing she told you about our conversation the other day, and I meant every word of it."

"Sakura's not always like that, Naruto! It's just… Mostly towards you."

Naruto laughs harshly. "Is that supposed to make me like her again? Not doing a real good job, Ino."

Something flashes in Ino's eyes and she raises her hand in the air. Naruto is almost sure she's going to slap him, but a voice cuts through the silent room, startling her. She hastily moves backwards and turns to see Sasuke standing in the doorway.

"Ino, I'm sure you have somewhere else to be." Wow. Naruto hasn't heard that much venom in the Uchiha's voice for a while. And it wasn't aimed at him!

"Sasuke," Ino starts uncertainly, but Sasuke is having none of it.

"In case you didn't understand, I was telling you to get out." The glare on his face causes Naruto to shiver. He can't recall a time when the raven was ever this harsh to him.

Ino looks like she's ready to cry as she pushes past him, and Naruto is almost certain he hears her sobbing once she's in the hall. What's up with cheerleaders and waterworks? Jeez.

"Damn, teme." The blonde whistles smoothly. "You oughhta treat girls like that more often. Might disintegrate some of that fan base."

Sasuke scoffs and heads for the back of the class. "I doubt it."

Naruto frowns in confusion when Sasuke sits in the chair next to him, not sure what the raven is doing.

Sasuke must notice this, because he turns to look at the blonde and with a startlingly warmer tone than he had used on Ino, simply says "what?"

"What are you doing back here? You're a front row nerd."

Sasuke scoffs at the insult, but his narrowed eyes dart to the door quickly, then back down to his book.

Fine, don't answer. Really though, why would he suddenly change his seating preference? The only thing that happened differently today was Ino, and just because she came in and nearly slapped… Naruto's eyes widen, then a huge grin breaks out onto his face.

He leans sideways, putting himself closer to Sasuke. "Teme, are you sitting back here to protect me?" Naruto asks in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Wanna make sure no angry cheerleaders mar my beautiful face?"

"Keep talking dobe, and I'll be the one to hit you." Naruto laughs at the half-assed glare Sasuke gives him and falls back into his seat. Who would have thought the great Uchiha Sasuke could feel defensive of his least favorite blonde?

Naruto can't really push the subject, because people are starting to come into homeroom. Naruto notices many of them shooting shocked glances at them. Hell, some are openly gawking. He supposes it is a bit strange for them. The two of them sitting next to each other and not fighting? Unprecedented. But Naruto has spent many days in a café booth across from him. This feels normal now. Right, even. He wonders if Sasuke feels the same way, and that's why he came back here with such ease.

Hey, wait a minute. Café. Meetings. Shit, they didn't plan for them this week!

Naruto turns to Sasuke and waves his hand back and forth to get his attention. When he sees the raven give him a quite irritated glare, he starts. "Teme, when are we meeting this week?"

Sasuke rolls his eyes at the blonde before returning to his book. "When are you off?"

"Um," Naruto tries to recall his schedule, a feat he's never been very good with. "Tuesday and Friday."

"Then those days."

Naruto tilts his head and studies Sasuke. He just doesn't get it. The guy is attractive; Naruto can even admit that. It's why half the student population either loves or hates him. And sure, his personality is a little harsh, but girls go for that. They sure as hell go for that bad boy mystique the raven has about him. So Naruto can't figure out why Sasuke doesn't have a girlfriend.

Any time they have to set a meeting, Sasuke is extremely easy going about the dates. Only school obligations stop him from doing it at certain times. It's never because he wants to go on a date with a girl. Lord knows he could have a different girl on his arm every day, if he wanted. Instead, he invited Naruto out this weekend. Sure, they were going to meet up afterwards anyway, but he could have taken anyone out to lunch and then came to study with the blonde.

Naruto is just about to voice this new concept to Sasuke, when a loud voice greets him from his side. "Yo, Naruto! You should have come by my place instead of ignore my texts–" Kiba stops mid-sentence when he sees who is sitting on the side of Naruto. Frowning in confusion, he glances up to Sasuke's usual front row seat, and then back to the raven's current seat. Kiba must have come to some sort of conclusion, because he shrugs his shoulders and continues like he never stopped.

"Sunday was awesome. Shino, Shikamaru, Lee, and Choji all come over to my place and we slaughtered Halo all day."

Any other time, Naruto might have been jealous at hear this. All his good friends hanging out, without him? But he thinks to what he did this weekend; the reason he accidentally ignored all those texts. Just hanging out with Sasuke for a bit.

And you know what? Naruto feels like he probably got the better deal.

If only for the ramen.

* * *

Naruto happily breathes in the aroma of coffee and vanilla as he sits down in front of Sasuke, a steaming mug in his hands. Today has been bitterly cold; the blonde thought he would surely turn into a popsicle before the day was out.

But here he sits at Java's, warming up and certainly not frozen from head to toe. Sasuke has his own mug pushed off to the side, with his journal and assignment in front of him. He's studying the sheet of questions, but keeps turning to other pages behind it.

"What's up, teme?" Naruto sips at his coffee and doesn't really pay much attention to the raven. When he gets all studious like this, it's not likely Naruto will even get a reply.

"The next four assignments are very similar to each other, concerning the questions."

Naruto turns his attention to Sasuke. "Yeah? Do you just wanna do them all now?"

"No," Sasuke says briskly as he lays the stack of papers flat again. "We'll keep doing one assignment per meeting. I don't want your head to explode from overthinking."

Naruto growls at the smirk on Sasuke's face, but he's far too content to put up any argument. The coffee is good, the room is warm, and he's sitting across from Sasuke. He's not really sure why that last bit puts him in such a happy mood, but Naruto isn't going to question it. It's the first time he's felt truly happy since Monday morning's incident, and such frivolities as why he's pleased to be sitting with someone he used to consider an enemy are not to be dealt with.

"Pay attention, dobe. We're starting."

"Aye-aye, captain!" Naruto languidly salutes and grins at the glower on the ravens face.

"We're moving onto the next chapter; Race, Gender, and Minorities. The assignment topic today is Race. First question: What is your personal perception of race in a social setting?"

"Well, Kakashi needs to update his assignment sheets, because there is only one race of humans. Breaking everything up into categories based on skin tone or language or culture in general is an ethnicity," Naruto states immediately. "In our society, any ethnicity that is not Caucasian in skin tone is inferior and treated as such. I mean, of course we boast that we don't do that, but there are still so many bigots towards people of other ethnicity's that it is seriously disturbing."

"I agree. We as a society have a long way to go before we are accepting, and not just tolerant, of other ethnicities. Second question: How do you perceive racism in our culture? Do you think it's a problem?"

"Of course it is!" The blonde nearly shouts. Sasuke gives him a glare that quite clearly tells him to keep it down, and even AJ looks up at him from the register with a chiding gaze.

"I just mean, racism is as strong as ever in our culture and society. The simple fact that we call it racism, judging someone on their ethnicity as if it makes them a different breed of humans, is disgusting. We might be better about hiding it, but there is still so much wrong!" Naruto speaks softly but fiercely. Damn, this is a topic that gets his blood boiling. "And it's not like we are even that good at hiding it, you know? Especially towards certain ethnicities."

Sasuke gives Naruto a peculiar glance, slightly tilting his head. For a moment, Naruto thinks he almost looks… cute. But then he straightens back up, and the illusion is gone. He's still the deathly serious Sasuke. "It is true that our society still struggles greatly with accepting other cultures and ethnicities, and I don't see it in the future of our country to become better with it any time soon.

"This question ties into the previous one: Do you feel that discrimination concerning race is still a problem?" Sasuke looks up from his paper, waiting for Naruto to answer.

"Mm, yeah, of course. Like you said, it goes hand in hand with racism. Sure, we're not all segregated anymore but you can tell there are a lot of people that wish we were. And that's just for the typical black discrimination. That's not even including discrimination against other factors like age, looks, sexual preference, or things like that."

"Ah," Sasuke cuts Naruto off. "You're beginning to talk about minorities, which is a different assignment." Naruto makes a face but doesn't argue it further. He's sure Sasuke gets the point.

"Discrimination is definitely still an issue; you see it every day that you watch the news, or listen to a story. It's one of those things that will never go away, because masses of people are incapable of accepting everything as it is without making it negative."

"You have a pretty negative view of society, don't you?" Sasuke shrugs his shoulders indifferently at Naruto's question.

"Society has never given me a reason to view it as anything but."

"I guess I just like to try to see the best in everything, even if it's given me little reason to do so."

"You're too open and accepting." Sasuke says this almost too himself, even though it's obviously aimed at Naruto.

The statement irritates Naruto momentarily. There's nothing wrong with being open and accepting! Too many things happen in life, that you can't hold onto just the anger and doubt everything that goes on. You got to be at least a little open to believing in life. Besides, if he wasn't open to new things…

"I'm really glad I am open, because that part of my personality welcomed you into my life." Naruto tilts his head and gives Sasuke an honest smile.

Is that a blush on Sasuke's cheeks? Naruto leans closer to get a better look, but quickly backs up when Sasuke makes like he's going to hit him. Laughing, Naruto says "that's a new look for you, teme. I like it!"

"Shut up. The fourth question is, what do you feel about stereotypes? How often do you stereotype people?"

"I think stereotypes are, unfortunately, ingrained into our culture. A lot of people who aren't really bad or purposefully being bigots end up stereotyping people on a daily basis. We're just taught to see certain groups of people in a singular way. I personally try really hard to not apply stereotypes to people, but I'd be lying if I said I never do."

Sasuke nods in agreement, and Naruto notices that the blush he caused is now gone. Too bad. "Stereotypes are difficult to break from when you've been taught them by the media and culture. I think everyone is guilty of stereotyping people based on their prior knowledge of whatever group the person is from. Some people take it to the extreme, and that's typically when you start entering racist territory."

"And the last question," Naruto sing songs, "Do you feel that your culture identities are heavily prejudiced against race?" The blonde stops to think about that for a moment. He can't really think of anything in his life that he lets affect him to the point that he would feel prejudiced against others. Not to say that none of his culture identifies don't do that, just that he doesn't take part. He voices these thoughts to Sasuke slowly, not really sure if it makes sense.

"We belong to culture identities because we are taught something that falls into a specific group. That doesn't necessarily mean we have to agree with every facet of that culture, though experts would argue at that point, you are falling away from the culture identity."

"I think…" Naruto tries to form the words. "All this stuff about culture and society is too convoluted. People are people, and they all have their own beliefs and opinions and views. To throw them into these "group identities" and tell them that they have to do exactly as the rules for that group say is extremely simple minded."

"Agreed, dobe." Sasuke sighs and starts packing his stuff up, and Naruto follows suit. Another meeting down! A slight panic comes over Naruto for a moment, and he wonders if him and Sasuke will have anything to do with each other when these meetings end. Naruto considers Sasuke… Well, he doesn't want to say friend, because he hangs out with his friends for reasons that have nothing to do with school. But in some ways, he feels closer to Sasuke then he does to Kiba or Shikamaru. He chalks this up to the nature of their conversations; he's never spoken about things like this to either of those guys. But that doesn't change the fact that Naruto feels like he will desperately miss Sasuke if they don't speak after this. I mean, you don't share all this personal shit with someone and then never talk to them again!

Unusually, the boys leave together. Stepping outside into the brisk January air causes Naruto to shiver and his teeth chatter, and he hears Sasuke scoff. He feels a light push on his shoulder, and turns to see Sasuke nod towards Naruto's jeep. "Get warmed up before you freeze to death, dobe. You won't be of any use to me frozen."

Naruto wants to ask how he's of any use to Sasuke on a regular day, but the raven is already pulling open his car door and disappearing inside the tinted vehicle. Not wanting to freeze anymore, Naruto follows Sasuke's advice and gets in his jeep, starting the heat up that thankfully hasn't had too much time to go out since he parked it earlier.

The blonde thinks about all the strange thoughts he's had this week towards Sasuke, and he feels if he was more in touch with his emotions, he might be able to come to some sort of conclusion. Something was up between them, Naruto knew that much. But he would be the first one to tell you that he's pretty dense when it comes to things like this. Deciphering what exactly it is that's going on, the blonde had no idea.

He does know that worrying about it won't solve anything. On that note, he seals all the odd quips and unusual expressions away in his mind, he puts his jeep into gear, and he heads home to something familiar and safe.

* * *

Kakashi is ecstatic; not that you'd ever be able to tell. The man is a master at schooling is emotions on the outside, but on the inside, he was bursting with giddiness. The plan is already working; he gleefully thinks to himself. Three weeks in is all it took. He knew it the moment he walked into his homeroom and saw the boys sitting next to each other. Not only were they next to each other, but it was the Uchiha that made the move. Kakashi is beginning to think there is some merit to his belief of Sasuke being attracted to Naruto.

It's with these thoughts in mind that Kakashi stoops just inside an empty classroom. He hid here so he could read some Icha Icha in peace. He never expected two of his students to have a personal conversation outside the doors.

If you accused Hatake Kakashi of eavesdropping, he would not correct you. He may be a man of few and loose morals, but he was an honest man of few morals. The only problem is, it's not the two students he wants it to be.

He recognizes the voice of Haruno Sakura; a rather tenacious girl who takes an active role in the school. She is the one that Naruto has an unrequited crush on. Or at least did, Kakashi thinks jauntily to himself. Oh, he's heard the rumors and conversations of the little fiasco between the two of them. Cheerleaders are not known for being quiet about their dramas.

The other voice is the deep, icy tones of Uchiha Sasuke. While the raven is bad tempered on a regular basis, the clipped edge to his voice is one he reserves for when he's legitimately agitated. This is reassuring to Kakashi. The boy does not wish to be here, speaking with her.

"Sasuke," he hears the pinkette begin. "I was wondering… How do you feel about me?" Oh, that's nice, Sakura, Kakashi thinks as he shakes his head in mock sorrow for the girl. Just put him on the spot right from the start. That's bound to get him to open up.

"I do not have time for this, Sakura," an aggravated Sasuke states. "We have student council business to attend, not personal matters."

"Please," Kakashi hears the girl plead. "Just give me a chance! I promise I won't let you down. I just want to be with you, Sasuke! I'd be perfect for you." Well, that's laying it on a bit thick, Kakashi muses. He can't think of a single reason why the pinkette would be a good match for Sasuke. They are both selfish people in their own ways, and the relationship would never work out. No, Sasuke needs to be with someone selfless and giving. Someone like a certain blonde.

Sasuke sighs and Kakashi can just imagine the raven pinching his eyes shut and doing his best to not snap. "I have no interest in you."

"But, maybe if you just spent some time with me…" Sakura sounds desperate now, clinging to any hope she can find. Kakashi almost feels bad for her, but the girl truly brings it upon herself. Sasuke has tried twice now to easily let her down, and she's not taking it.

"I'm already spending time with the only person I care to." Oh, sweet music to Kakashi's ears! He knows exactly who Sasuke means when he says that, and unfortunately, the pinkette does too.

"What? You mean you like having to deal with Naruto?" The girls tone has grown harsh. "But he's nothing! Except for a huge nuisance." Kakashi hears a quick swish of fabric – what he imagines to be Sasuke turning sharply to face the girl – and Sakura's startled gasp.

"Naruto is superior to you in every way. You're a wretched girl, Sakura, and I wouldn't waste my time on you." Kakashi can hear the clicking of Sasuke's shoes as he moves down the hall. "Keep your emotions to yourself, and do not let them affect our positions on the council. You wanted this event, so you need to plan it."

Well, Kakashi thinks happily. That was certainly entertaining. And enlightening. He's pleased to know without a shadow of a doubt that the raven is interested in pursuing Naruto. The problem will be figuring out if Naruto is interested in the same thing. Judging from the behavior the two have been exhibiting in class the last couple of weeks, Kakashi fully believes, given a push in the right direction, Naruto could certainly accept a relationship with Sasuke.

Kakashi is broken from his contemplations at the rather loud sobs that are coming from outside the classroom. Oh dear, the girl is still just standing there in her misery? Wouldn't she rather take it somewhere private, if for no other reason than letting Kakashi leave?

The silver haired man sighs and gets comfortable on the floor. No sense in worrying about that, he thinks. Pulling out his favorite book, he decides to pass the time with a love story he already knows well.

* * *

By the time Friday comes around, Naruto is fairly confused. He hasn't done anything wrong, concerning a couple girls he would rather not mention. Except, they're certainly acting like he has. Either Sakura is holding a grudge, or he made some new mistake that he just hasn't realized. Both of those girls are treating him like he made the biggest mistake of their lives – certainly not his, because he feels right as rain. He's noticed that they either avoid him entirely, even taking to using Sakura's locker instead of Ino's, or they go out of their way to glare at him. Naruto knows it's just two girls being brats, but the treatment stirs up old memories inside of him that he's tried so hard to lock away. Apparently to no avail.

And is it his imagination, or is Sasuke around him a lot more often? The raven kept his seat in the back of the class during homeroom, and has taken to leaving third period with Naruto – though they don't sit together. And while they're lockers are fairly close to each other, he doesn't remember ever seeing Sasuke in the halls this much. Naruto at first chalked it up to his newfound bond with Sasuke. Of course he's going to notice him now. They're on speaking terms for once in their lives.

But it seems to be more than that. Naruto doesn't really know what to think about it. He gets the same vibe from Sasuke as he did that first day he sat next to him in homeroom. Like the boy is waiting for something else to happen and wants to be close to Naruto if it does. Naruto really doesn't understand what that could be though, and so he just pushes the whole subject from his mind and enjoys the extra company. He can't be bothered with all this stuff today, because it's Friday. Last day of the school week and his next chat with Sasuke. Since when did he come to enjoy those? Naruto shrugs his shoulders at the lack of answer that comes to him, and heads for his locker.

Lo and behold, a tall, dark, and – dare Naruto admit – handsome boy is leaning against Ino's locker. Naruto grins at the welcome sight and walks a bit quicker.

"Hey, teme. Been awhile since we actually met before the meeting." Naruto opens his locker and hastily switches out his current books with the ones he needs to take home. Homework is an ever growing problem.

"Wanted to make sure you remember, dobe."

"As if I would forget one of our meetings," Naruto exclaims at the cool attitude of the raven. He slams his locker shut, ready to continue an argument, but stops dead when he sees the full blown smirk on Sasuke's face. Something about it causes Naruto to blush wildly, and he just growls and starts walking towards he stairs.

"Let's get started, okay?" He calls over his shoulder, but Sasuke is already beside him. The raven is quiet, save for the smirk still plastered on his face. Jeez, what did Naruto say to instigate that? Sometimes he feels he can't win with Sasuke. Though, he has to admit, he prefers these teasing sessions much more than their confrontational sessions.

Naruto flinches as they step outside and into the afternoon chill, silently praying that his jeep warms up quickly today.

"I'll see you at the café, dobe." Naruto looks over to see Sasuke branching off and heading towards his car, but quickly casts his eyes downwards again. The wind is whipping too harshly, bringing tears to the blonde's eyes. These mountain winters in Washington are just not doing it for him. Even the summer is going to be filled with biting rain. Eighteen years and he still hasn't adapted.

The café is Naruto's saving grace; he can always count on stepping inside and feeling warmth surround him. He just about melts into the alcove booth and huddles in his coat. He stays like that for a few moments before realizing Sasuke never joined him. Glancing around, he finds the raven at the counter, receiving two mugs from a smiling AJ.

"Thanks," Naruto says when Sasuke slides one of the mugs in front of him, taking his seat across from the blonde.

"Today's topic is gender, focusing on male. Questions are in a similar fashion to the last ones." Sasuke clicks his pen open, posed to write.

"Yeah, I remember you saying this chapter was set up pretty much the same for all of the assignments." Naruto blows on his drink, marveling at the warmth it gives off, more than any desire to drink it.

"The first question: What is your personal perception of males in a social setting?"

"Um, I honestly have no idea how to answer that. What does it even mean?" Males in a social setting? Naruto frowns at the wording. Kakashi really needs to make his questions less confusing.

"It means dobe, how do you consider males when you see them in public? What is your initial reaction?"

"I still don't get it. I don't make opinions and decisions based on someone's gender, you know? When I see a guy, I just see a guy. It's when he opens his mouth that I start to form an opinion of him."

"But that's not entirely true, is it? You judge people, if for no other reason than you've been taught to, based on appearances. Your perception of a man dressed in casual streetwear would be different than that of a man dressed in an expensive suit."

Naruto thinks about that for a moment. "Yeah," he starts slowly, "I guess that's true. But it's not like I do it in a spiteful way, yeah? It's just that each of those people would be holding themselves in a different way."

"True. I think the point the question is trying to get at though is less about opinions and more about subconscious tendencies to automatically consider men to be superior in a social setting."

Naruto scrunches up his nose. "Let's move on, okay? That question is too weird." The blonde scans the paper for the second question. "Do you feel that men are submissive, dominant, or equal to women? Why? Well that's easy," Naruto states, a little perturbed. "Men and women are equal. There's nothing that men can do for the world that women can't. Men and women can be just as excellent at the same things. Of course, there will be things that men can't do that women can, and vice versa. But that doesn't constitute a reason to label one or the other submissive or dominant."

Sasuke's pen scratches along his paper as he writes while speaking. "In our society, men are typically viewed as dominant, though this isn't a line of thought I agree with. I was raised to believe that men are dominant, but it's too archaic of a belief for me to follow. Our current society is proving that women will no longer settle to be labeled as anything less than equal."

Naruto nods his head fiercely. "Damn right, they are! As it should be."

Sasuke gives Naruto a small smirk but doesn't reply to the comment. "Is discrimination of males of any ethnicity a problem?"

"Well, sure it is. It doesn't matter if its male or female; our society has a huge problem with discrimination in general."

"That leads us into the next question: Is discrimination of white males a problem?"

Naruto looks at the paper to verify Sasuke read the question right. Really? "No, it's not. At least, not in our society. I don't think anyone is telling white males they can't do or be anything they want. They're not having jobs refused to them because the company hiring has an issue with their ethnicity."

Sasuke nods his head once in agreement. "Finally, how do your cultural identities affect these views?"

"I think my cultural identities probably shaped every single one of those views, for good or worse. I mean, it's due to society that we think of things in a certain way, especially regarding gender." Naruto plays with his mug, seriously considering his views for a moment. The questionnaire is a bit sobering, as it makes you really think about your reflections on the world.

"There is still a stigma attached to many gender norms, and people are trying very hard to completely break that. I am still highly doubtful though that we will ever see a day where things are completely equal between men and women, or between different ethnicities."

"These questions are so depressing," Naruto sighs and pushes his notebook away from him. "I'm glad we only do one a day. I'd probably implode if we did more."

Sasuke smirks and starts putting his stuff away. "Tomorrow should make you feel a bit better, then."

"Huh?" Naruto looks at him confusedly. "What do you mean/"

"We are doing the bake sale, and the girls wanted to do it as soon as possible. It'll be going on tomorrow afternoon."

"What?!" Naruto sits up from his slouching position. "Why are you just now telling me?! I haven't prepared anything." Naruto groans and starts throwing his notebook back into his bag. "Well, I've gotta start right now. No time to waste!"

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "Right now? Don't you need to go home first?"

"Nope," Naruto says quickly. "I can use AJ's kitchen. More supplies anyways." Naruto stops what he's doing for a moment and cast Sasuke a shy glance. "You can stay if you'd like? I could always use the company."

The blonde can't read the expression on Sasuke's face, but when he stands up from the booth and gives Naruto a raised eyebrow, the blonde breaks out into a grin. "I'm not used to having an audience, but I think I can deal." Naruto leads Sasuke into the back, pausing briefly to tell AJ what he's doing, and promising to pay her back for the used supplies.

Naruto starts taking out different pans and mixing bowls, while Sasuke leans against a counter. "I think I'll make the all the time favorites; chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, brownies, lemon bars, and cream cheese and vanilla cupcakes."

Sasuke raises an incredulous eyebrow at the list. "You're going to make all that right now?"

"Yep!" Naruto says happily. "And you're gonna help me." He sets a large mixing bowl in front of Sasuke, followed by a carton of eggs, a tub of butter, a canister of flour, a box of baking soda, and a bottle of vanilla extract. "These will be the basis of pretty much everything we'll make." Naruto thinks about how much they should make, and settles on four dozen of everything. "We'll make a double batch of each item, starting with the chocolate chip cookies."

Naruto sets about to telling Sasuke how much of each ingredient to put into the bowl, while the blonde works on preparing the sugar cookies. Thankfully, they already have some dough chilling in the fridge, so all Naruto needs to do is remake the batches to replace it.

Taking a break from his second batch of dough, Naruto looks over to see how Sasuke is doing. The raven is doing everything in very precise moves; he had demanded Naruto give him measuring cups and a knife to level everything off, but Naruto hardly payed any attention. Watching him now, Naruto can tell that Sasuke has an eye for detail no matter what it is he's focused on. The woes of being a perfectionist, Naruto thinks. The blonde has a tendency to just start throwing all the ingredients in a bowl and going at it. He can't really recall a time where he ever followed a recipe too precisely.

But watching Sasuke, he has a newfound admiration for the way the raven takes his time, treating each ingredient like it is the prime factor of a perfect recipe.

Naruto shakes his head and grins, coming to stand across from the raven with a new mixing bowl and several new ingredients. Sasuke looks up as he sees new items being placed on the counter, seeming to be studying the possibilities.

"Are you making the brownies next?"

"Yeah," Naruto says easily. "Brownies are an art. You either end up with super moist goodness, cakey decency, or rocks." Naruto sighs mournfully. "When I first started to make them, I couldn't get them right to save my life. Kept ending up with bricks instead of brownies."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at this news. "I hope you can do better now, dobe. Don't need to break anyone's teeth."

Naruto sticks his tongue out at the raven. "Of course I can! I worked long and hard to be able to make the perfect brownie, and now they're everybody's favorite! It's the only thing Kiba will let me make when I come over to his place." Naruto glances up as he notices Sasuke's movements have stopped. The raven is just staring at him – well, staring at his hands as he works. Naruto blushes at the attention, and pushes some ingredients towards Sasuke.

"Here, start making the cupcakes. I'll explain the recipe as we go."

And like that, the two boys worked together creating desserts for a fundraiser Naruto couldn't care less about. All he did care about, was that he had Sasuke next to him, helping him with his favorite past time.

* * *

"You're staying right here with me." Sasuke glares at the blonde pouting next to him. Naruto doesn't understand why he has to man a table, just because he baked the goods that are being sold on it.

"This isn't fair. I'm not a part of the council. Why do I have to participate in the actual sale?" The blonde sighs heavily. "I did my part. I baked."

"And I helped, so now you can repay me." Naruto glares at the Uchiha, but his expression quickly smooths over. Sasuke did help him do a lot of the baking last night, and everything turned out pretty damn well, if Naruto may say so. And it's not really such a hardship to be standing here with the guy, it's just that groups of girls keep passing and giving them wide eyes and then breaking out into giggles. Seriously, what is their problem?

"Maa, if it isn't my two favorite students." Naruto smiles at Kakashi, but that quickly turns to a scowl. He has a bone to pick with this man.

"Hey, Kakashi," Naruto greets him friendly enough before launching into his problem. "You need to update your questions, you know? There are some on there that have bad terminology and you need to fix it!"

"Oh my, " Kakashi has the decency to looks taken aback. "I will make sure to go through and have everything politically correct." He reaches out a hand to ruffle Naruto's hair, much to the boy's displeasure. "How is the project going, anyways?"

"It's alright," Naruto mutters, still annoyed by the man touching his hair. "Sasuke helped me make all this last night after the study session."

"Did he?" Naruto doesn't notice the gleam in Kakashi's eyes, but he does hear the raven scoff and turns in time to see him roll his eyes.

"It wouldn't have been done if I didn't."

"Bullshit!" Naruto exclaims. "I could have easily busted all this out without your assistance."

Kakashi chuckles, bringing Naruto's attention back to him. "Well, I'm glad you two are working well together. And I think I'll buy a few lemon bars." He winks at Naruto, who blushes and sets to quickly packaging the product up.

"Sasuke, could you come with me, please?" Naruto looks up from his task to see a pretty brunette talking to Sasuke. With the scowl on Sasuke's face, the blonde can tell he doesn't want to go anywhere with her. And even Naruto feels opposed to the idea; why though, he can't express. Maybe it's that feeling that pushes Naruto to nudge Sasuke's shoulder and nod to the girl, telling him to go ahead. The raven glares at him, but steps around the side of the table and follows the girl off.

Naruto watches with something akin to jealousy as they disappear from sight. He tells himself it's just because he doesn't like Sasuke getting all the girls, but he knows that's not it. He barely took notice of the girl, focusing more on Sasuke's reaction to her.

He doesn't have much time to worry about it though, because he sees a familiar face barreling its way towards his table.

"You should have told me you were bringing stuff to the bake sale, I would have brought a shit ton more money." Naruto grins at the shaggy haired boy walking up to the table.

"Sorry man, I just found out last night it was happening today. Didn't have much time to prepare, let alone send out a public service announcement."

"Just give me twenty bucks worth of double chocolate brownies." Kiba slams a twenty down on the table and waggles his finger at Naruto. "Better not hold out on me and say you don't got them."

Naruto snorts and shakes his head. "You're gonna throw up if you try to eat all those," but he goes ahead and grabs four trays of the requested dessert. "There you go, mutt."

"Ahh, yeah! Not sharing these with anybody, so if anyone asks, you didn't see me." Naruto salutes the demanding brunette and grins as he walks off.

"Hey, Naruto," a pretty blonde waves at the boyfriend as she stands next to… Shikamaru? Naruto openly gapes as he can see their hands clasped together. Holy shit. Is Shika really getting with Temari?

"Hey, you guys," Naruto says somewhat hesitantly, still in shock at the sight before him.

"I didn't know you were into baking." Naruto smiles brightly at the blonde's question, and forgets all about the possible new relationship.

"Yeah! I love to-"

A sudden ruckus causes Naruto's attention to snap up, a glare on his face from interrupting his conversation. Naruto looks over at the group of babbling girls, all speaking excitedly and loudly over each other and pointing off somewhere Naruto can't see. It's a bake sale, for crying out loud. What could they have seen to make them so animated? Something in the pit of his stomach tells him it has to do with the recent disappearance of a certain raven, but he's not sure…

He'd find out. Seeing a familiar dark haired girl walking towards him, Naruto waves her over. "Hey, Hinata, what happened that has them so excited?"

"Yeah," Temari adds, "they're being pretty obnoxious." Her eyes are narrowed at the girls, and Naruto hopes for their sakes they calm down before she walks past them.

"Oh," Hinata glances nervously to the girls, then back to Naruto, then shyly casts her eyes to the ground. "Um, Sa—sakura had Machi pull Sasuke aside for a mo-ment, and I guess…" Here the girl blushes and pauses, nervously shifting her eyes around to look at anything but Naruto.

"And what, Hinata?" The urgency in Naruto's voice must have caught her attention, because she looks directly at him, blushing harder than ever.

"She tried to kiss him, Sakura that is. But he rejected her and walked off…" Finishing her recap of the event, she returns to studying the ground.

What? She did what? This is bad; Naruto can only imagine how angry the raven is. "Is Sasuke okay, though?" The question seems to startle Hinata, as she eyes Naruto with a peculiar expression.

"Who cares about Sasuke?!" A belligerent blonde storms past them, casting a disgusted glare at Naruto. "Sakura is the one who's bawling her eyes out after being pushed aside by that jerk!" Ino huffs and stamps her foot on the ground; an action that reminds Naruto far too much of the pinkette.

Naruto scoffs and rolls his eyes. "That's her fault for doing something so stupid. As if Sasuke would let her kiss him." Ino looks like she's ready to turn around and hit Naruto, but he's already moving. He sees Shikamaru with his arm out, trying to pacify Ino into not coming after him. Naruto really doesn't have time for her. Dammit, who knows where that teme would have gone! He could be anywhere around here. The only thing Naruto knows for certain, is the raven will have distanced himself from everyone after something like that.

Considering they're in the closed courtyard of the school, that means he could have gone anywhere. There are plenty of alone places around here. Naruto sighs and rubs a hand across his eyes. Oh well, no other choice than to just start looking.

And look he does. He searches the rest of the courtyard, especially any nooks and crannies he thinks an Uchiha could disappear in. He pops back into the cafeteria and does a quick search of the great hall, with no luck. He doesn't think Sasuke would have gone a classroom to get away, so the blonde heads off for the parking lot. Sasuke's either out there just standing and getting some fresh air, or he's left.

Surprisingly though, Sasuke's car is still parked where Naruto saw it earlier. Then where is he? Sure, the campus is huge, and yeah Naruto has gotten lost more than once trying to navigate his way through one of the two massive buildings. Who really needs to have twelve wings in one school? But Sasuke is not the sort to get lost. No, Naruto can't find him because he doesn't want to be found.

The blonde sighs and dejectedly leans against Sasuke's Camaro. If only there was a nice, easy way he could get in touch with Sasuke, rather than hunt the campus for him.

As if a lightbulb goes off in Naruto's head, he hastily plunges a hand into his jeans pocket and pulls out his cell phone. Oh, thank god for technology, Naruto thinks as he types out a message to the raven.

 _Where are you?_

Naruto stands there and waits for a few minutes, staring at his phone like his life depends on it. Come on, teme, just reply. So when his phone vibrates with a new message, he nearly jumps for joy. Though the lackluster answer to his question deflates a bit of that enthusiasm.

 _Stadium._

Naruto stares at the one words and groans. Of course he wasn't going to find him there. Jesus, it's on the other side of campus! The parking lot he's currently standing in is the north; he'd still have to go through the west lot and then back around to the south side of the school to get to the stadium. Naruto sighs and pushes off from the car. He's not going to get there by just standing here. Might as well start walking.

And walk he did. By the time he reached the stadium, fifteen minutes had passed. Big schools are not all they're chalked up to be. Naruto searches the large football field to see if he can spot the raven, but no luck. He's about to pull his phone back out and ask the jerk where he's at, when something catches Naruto's eye. A spot of black at the top of the bleachers across the huge field. Shoving his phone back in his pocket, he slowly walks over.

Even if it is Sasuke, what is he supposed to say? Yeah, didn't think about that, did you Naruto? The boy shakes his head and tries to clear out the thoughts. It's just Sasuke; it's not like he needs to have any great speech performed. But then again, it is Sasuke. What the hell does Naruto think he's doing by coming out here when the guy wants to be alone? This is just going to start a fight! He told you where he was those, didn't he? Doesn't that account for something?

Well, that's true… But Naruto didn't reply back and tell him that he was coming. And Sasuke certainly hadn't told him where at the stadium he was. For all he knows, the raven might scoff at him and refuse to speak. Or worse so, he might start a serious fight. Lord knows how Naruto gets when he's upset and being bothered by people.

All these thoughts add a touch of uncertainty to his gait as he comes upon the bleachers. Gazing upwards, he can tell that is indeed Sasuke. He clutches the handrail nervously, not really sure what to do.

"Quit being an idiot, dobe." Naruto's attention snaps up to the distant but familiar insult. What the hell does that mean? He's not even doing anything! Naruto growls in annoyance to himself and lets his hand slip off the guard rail. Of course it was a mistake to come out here. Of course Sasuke would be a jerk about it.

He starts to move backwards, ready to leave the raven to himself and not even get into this today. They've been doing so good with not fighting; so good in fact, that Naruto hadn't even realized it until now. When was the last time they had an actual argument? One where they were both riled and fighting? God, it had to of been weeks ago. Naruto stops and peers up at Sasuke again. It feels like there's a dead weight inside of him, prohibiting him from leaving. Like this is where he's meant to be at the moment. Because Sasuke...

Sasuke needs him.

Naruto blinks at the strange thought, thoroughly startled by its onset. Why in the world would Sasuke need him? Hell, hadn't the guy just told him off for even coming over here? But it didn't feel like an actual barb, when Sasuke told him to quit being stupid. More like he was chastising Naruto for hesitating to come up.

He's not really sure when it happened, or even how his feet started moving, but Naruto found himself half way up the bleachers and nearing Sasuke before he could think about it. The raven is the poster child for "chill cool kids"; as directed by some middle aged man who thinks lounging about, legs propped up on the seat in front of him and arms bent backwards bracing himself, head tilted towards the sky with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth is cool.

Minus the cigarette, of course. Naruto can't imagine the raven touching one if his life depended on it. The guy is too straight-laced. In fact, the only one of Naruto's friends who does smoke is Shikamaru, and that only started last summer, when his uncle – that he'd been extremely close to and worshipped – died. That had been a rough time.

"Hey, teme. What's got you up here?" Alright, so Naruto already knows why, but it can't hurt to see if Sasuke will actually say it, can it? It would solidify the happening in Naruto's mind if the raven is the one who told him. He takes a seat on the bleachers near Sasuke, giving himself enough room that he can sit crooked and cross legged, coming with the advantage of staring at Sasuke as he talks to him.

Sasuke doesn't open his eyes or bother to look at the blonde. "Clingy girls."

"Multiple girls trying to molest you?"

"Just one, today." Today? Jesus, this guy has got to cut back on his fan base. Some of those girls need to be left for the other, less fortunate in the looks department. Not that Naruto was there, if he may say so himself.

"Who?" Naruto tries to sound disinterested and picks at the hem of his jacket. When he doesn't get an answer in a timely manner, he figures the teme is just going to ignore him. He shifts his gaze upwards to meet onyx eyes. Sasuke is staring at him, almost as if trying to find the answer to a question himself. He sighs softly before turn his closed eyes to the sky again.

"Sakura. She's been bothering me all week."

"Really?" This is news to Naruto; Sasuke hadn't mentioned her at either of their meetings. Not that he was required to, of course. And before today, it probably hadn't even been enough to warrant the raven saying anything.

"Yes. It seems she's taken it into her head that she needs to be proactive in her unwanted affections."

Naruto has the decency to blush; he can't even bring himself to look at Sasuke as he speaks. "That might be my fault." Naruto has no idea what sort of expression the raven is sporting, and he refuses to find out. "Last week, before our meeting that I got angry with you at, I kind of told her…" Naruto sighs and bites his lip, not really sure he wants to admit how mean he had been. "I told her that she was delusional for thinking you would go out with her. Basically said she was wasting her time."

Sasuke scoffs and Naruto can just feel the raven's eyes rolling. "You weren't wrong." After a slight pause, Naruto feels something brush against his leg. In surprise, he finally looks up to meet Sasuke's eyes again. "Why did you tell her that, though? You said it yourself last week, you're no longer interested in her. So why try to dissuade her from being with me?"

At that, Naruto is at a loss for words. He could give the easy answer; he was angry and hurt that she wanted to use him. And that is the truth. But is it the whole truth? Something tugs at Naruto's heart, and he tries his best to ignore it. There can't be any other reason he would want to keep Sakura away from him.

"Because it was the truth, teme. You'll never want to be with her, and she shouldn't keep pushing." Trust me, Naruto thinks bitterly. It doesn't get you anywhere. The way he sees it now, he wasted four years pining after someone who has been quite horrible to him this year.

"Why did you come looking for me?"

Naruto laughs nervously. "You know what, teme? I honestly don't know. It was just my initial reaction. I wanted to make sure you weren't too upset about it."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't know what made me take off."

Shit. Caught in his own sticky web of white lies. Naruto shrugs his shoulders and grins. "I just wanted to make you say it."

Sasuke scoffs but gives Naruto a small smirk. "Admit it, dobe. You just can't stay away from me."

Naruto huffs indignantly and blushes at the comment. "Like hell I can't! I was just worried about you and wanted to be there for you!" If Naruto caught the surprised but pleased look on Sasuke's face, he didn't show it. Instead, Naruto moves as if he's going to get up. Like hell he's going to sit here and be nice to someone who doesn't appreciate it!

But before he can get too far, a slim hand encircles Naruto's wrist, pulling the blonde off balanced and towards Sasuke. The startled blonde instinctively puts his hands in front of himself to stop a fall. While one hand lands on the bleacher behind him, the other hand that is still in Sasuke's grip grasps something hard but pleasantly warm and rough. Naruto doesn't have time to worry about that though, when Sasuke's face is so close to his. The slight fall has brought the blonde right under the raven's chin. Naruto shivers at their proximity and tries to lean back, only to find himself caught.

Sasuke still hasn't let go of his grasp on his wrist, and it prohibits the blonde's movements. Before Naruto could ask to be let go, or even just wrench himself out of the grasp, Sasuke tilts his head over and whispers seductively close to the blonde's ear, "thank you, dobe." Not the words so much as the position Naruto has found himself in, has him shivering again. He feels his spine tingle and tighten up as he desperately tries to calm himself down. Good lord, why is he acting like this? It's just Sasuke! Albeit, as insanely attractive and enigmatic as he is, Naruto shouldn't be responding like this. It's not until his hand clenches nervously around that hard surface that he pays any attention to what it is. Casting his gaze downwards for a moment, he finally realizes that he's been clutching Sasuke's hip. The rough fabric of his jeans is the only thing shielding the blonde from the warm skin, and for a moment, Naruto imagines splaying out his fingers and brushing against the skin underneath the raven's sweater. He vaguely wonders if it would be as smooth as the rest of him looks to be.

Blushing furiously now, Naruto pulls away from the raven and stands up rather hastily, thanking God Sasuke has let go of his wrist, and tries to put some distance between them. Dear God, the last thing Sasuke needs right now is to be molested by another guy! Didn't he come up here just to get away from people being all over him? And what's up with this reaction, anyways? He shouldn't be responding to Sasuke in such a way! Jesus, Uzumaki, get a hold of yourself!

Between all these rambling thoughts in Naruto's head and trying to calm the pounding of his own heart, Naruto barely notices when Sasuke stands up. It's not until the raven calmly says the blonde's insulting nickname a few times, each one a bit harsher and exasperated than the last, that Naruto finally brings himself back down to earth.

Well, Sasuke certainly doesn't look like he's ready to kill Naruto for invading his personal space. Though the raven does have a hint of red tinting his cheeks as well, but that can be chalked up to the cold. Not that Naruto is feeling any of that right now, oh no. He's uncomfortably warm.

"Um, how about we go back down to the sale, yeah? I bet there are lots of people missing you." Naruto gives a weak smile, and when he sees Sasuke nod in agreement, he turns around and starts to walk down the steps, with a smirking raven following close behind him.


	4. Etiquette

**Authors Note :** I'm not entirely certain how many chapters there will be to this story. Originally, the idea was to write one week per chapter, which would become 4 chapters per part. Each part is one month. Though recently (as of chapters 5 through the most recent, 11) I've only been covering one assignment per chapter, and maybe a span of 1 to a few days. Making Part II extremely long. I might continue this trend for the rest of the story; I don't know.

The story takes place from Janaury - May. There will be 5 Parts. Considering we're only in Part II and at Ch. 11, this is going to be a long fic.

With that being said, there should be plenty of chapters to keep everyone happy. The story will definitely be at least 200,000 words before it's finished.

* * *

 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse. **  
**

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

* * *

 **Chapter 4 : Etiquette**

* * *

 _We gotta get better at planning these things, teme_. Naruto steps out of his jeep, puts his hands in his pockets, pushing the coat closer to his body, and walks briskly towards the school. Dammit, why does it have to be so cold?

 _You're supposed to tell me your schedule on Fridays_. Naruto growls at the reply that flashes on his screen. It's hard enough to remember that schedule, let alone remember to share it with someone else!

 _Remind me!_ Oh yeah, 'cause that sounds really cool.

 _Dobe_. Naruto glares at his phone, but before he can start to type an insult back, something bumps into his shoulder. He barely looks up and over to see a charcoal gray wool coat next to him. That looks suspiciously similar to his coat. Sure enough, Naruto trails his eyes up further to be greeted with the sight of an arrogant bastard.

"Jerk," is Naruto's greeting. His glare intensifies when Sasuke just throws him a smirk. The blonde can't help but stare at the raven's coat, since he doesn't dare raise his face up to the wind. He's never been much for fashion, but damn. Don't you just hate it when you can tell something is expensive? He reaches a hand out tentatively, placing his fingertips against the fabric. Yep. That is some high quality shit right there.

"What are you doing?" Naruto's wide eyes snap up to meet Sasuke's inquisitive ones. Surprisingly, he doesn't look angry that the blonde just had his hand all over his pricey coat.

"You have to have the best of everything, don't you?" Naruto huffs out quickly, trying to play his sudden blush off as annoyance.

"And the other option is walking around in an orange coat?"

"It's not just orange!" Naruto defends his favorite coat. It happens to be a black and orange baseball style coat, one that Naruto has treasured for the last three years.

"But it is all hideous." Blue eyes widen in true horror at the words that fall from the Uchiha's mouth. How dare he?!

"Like your face!" Okay, so not the best retort Naruto has ever come up with. But it's the best he could do in his moment of anger. Apparently, Sasuke wasn't buying it either.

"Come on, dobe. Neither of us believes that insult." He has a haughty smirk playing on his lips, and Naruto can't decide how he would like to make it go away. Smacking it off used to be the go-to answer, but now… Now Naruto can think of other ways to make that disappear.

Ah, nope. Naruto quickly pushes those thoughts down. We are not getting into that. Except now that he's thought about it once, the whole floodgate of thoughts since Saturday afternoon are coming back. Being that close to Sasuke brought a whole new array of fun and exciting thoughts for the blonde to muse over; sarcasm implied. It confuses the blonde more than it bothers him; he just doesn't understand why he's suddenly seeing Sasuke in this new light. Is it just because he's spending so much time with him?

Honestly, since this semester started, Naruto hasn't had any time to hang out with his friends. It's been work, studying, and Sasuke. Two of three things in that list, he has no problem with. Hell, if you count the meetings as studying, then he has zero problems.

Naruto can't help but feel like maybe he's just getting attached to Sasuke because he's his only source of social interaction for the last three weeks. Every time he starts to talk himself into this though, a part of his mind laughs softly at himself and he can hear the word delusional ringing in his mind. The same words he threw at Sakura, only in the exact opposite manner. While Naruto wanted Sakura to see that her belief of Sasuke being interested in her was never going to be real, Naruto is trying to talk himself into believing that his interest in Sasuke isn't real.

He's not! He swears he's not. He's just… Confused. And entirely done with this internal monologue.

He turns his attention back to the raven next to him. "Are you admitting you're as vain and arrogant as I think you are?"

"I never denied it." Sasuke pulls the glass door to the lobby of the school open, waiting for Naruto to step through before he follows.

Naruto snorts at that. That Uchiha may be many things, but anything less than conceited, he is not.

"We'll discuss the meetings in homeroom," the raven says casually and starts to walk towards his locker, much farther down the hall. Naruto is a little upset to have him leave his side, already missing the warmth that was so close to him this entire time.

Naruto spends little time getting the books he needs for his before lunch classes, and starts heading for homeroom. Ever since Sasuke started to sit in the back with him and Kiba, the raven seems to be a bit more light hearted during class. Naruto wants to roll his eyes when he thinks that maybe all the jerk needs is a little social interaction in his life, but the fact remains. He seems to have chilled out since he started having daily conversations with the guys. So much so, Naruto has even considered inviting Sasuke to sit with them at lunch. He's not even really sure where the guy goes at lunch; he never sees him in the cafeteria.

The other reason Naruto wants to invite Sasuke to hang out with him and his friends, is that… Well, he's hoping that maybe it will take away some of these strange feelings. He doesn't want to avoid Sasuke; quite the opposite. The blonde feels a horrible ache in his chest when he thinks about only seeing Sasuke at the café, and not chatting at school. At the same time, he wants to interact with his friends more and see if it takes some of the new thoughts away. What better way to merge both of these worlds, then to just have everyone hang out?

Naruto decides to voice this line of thought to Sasuke when they both sit down, who just stares at the blonde like he grew two heads, and he's wondering which one he should dice off first. In other words, highly unpleasantly.

"Come on, teme. None of them are bad guys. It's typically me, Kiba, Shika, Choji, and Shino. In fact, me and Kiba are the ones who do the majority of talking."

"That's the problem." Sasuke levels a glare at the blonde, who stick his tongue out in retaliation.

"Sasuke," Naruto partially whines, "don't you wanna spend more time with me?" Here come the big, blue puppy dog eyes. No one can say no to them!

Sasuke sighs and rolls his eyes. "I'll give you one chance, dobe. Waste my lunch period and I won't do it again."

"Yeah!" Naruto exclaims excitedly. "You'll be fine, teme." It's safe to say, the blonde has a smile plastered to his face for the rest of homeroom.

* * *

Naruto is already sitting down with his two cups of ramen and a water, but no Sasuke yet. It's too soon to get antsy, he tells himself. Only Shino and Kiba are at the table with him. Shika and Choji tend to come together, since they're classes are near each other. It doesn't help him calm down, though. And that just makes him worse.

Even though he said he would have lunch with Naruto and the others, the blonde can't help but feel a pang of worry. What if he doesn't show up? It's not like Naruto can do anything about it. Except pout and yell at the raven the next time he sees him.

"Why do you look like you swallowed a pickle?" Naruto looks over to Kiba, who's scarfing down food like there's no tomorrow.

"I don't, mutt!" Naruto huffs and crosses his arms over his chest. Kiba has been Naruto's closest friend since freshman year, and unfortunately that means he's learned how to read Naruto.

"Like hell," Kiba swallows thickly. "You've been over there doing this cross between a pout and a grimace since you sat down."

Naruto growls at his friend. "Shut it, Kiba. You're seeing things."

Kiba scoffs and mutters something under his breath. It seems like he's going to run his mouth again, but a grin quickly breaks across his face. He nods his head towards the cafeteria doors. "Maybe this will stop your pouting."

Naruto looks up to see what he's on about. Heading towards their table is Shika and Choji, with a newcomer in tow. The raven is giving his attention to Shikamaru, and the two seem to be discussing something.

Immediately perking up, Naruto hears a snort come from his side. He narrows his eyes at the still grinning mutt. "What?"

Kiba shrugs his shoulders. "Nothing. Just impressed by how quickly your attitude changes when you see lover boy."

The bright red hue gracing Naruto's cheeks is a sight to behold. He could put tomatoes to shame. "Fuck you, Kiba!" The fuming blonde glowers at his friend, looking ready to kill.

The shaggy haired boy just laughs hard. "That's not my job." His laughter only increases as Naruto looks ready to blow a fuse.

"Hey, Sasuke says you invited him to sit with us," Shikamaru gives Naruto a lazy glance as he takes a seat. The blonde quickly shoots Kiba a glare, making it obvious he better not say anything else.

"Yeah! Figured he could do with some awesome company. How'd you find him?"

Sasuke scoffs but pulls out the chair next to Naruto. "We have the same class before lunch."

"Yeah?" Naruto says a bit surprised. He knows Sasuke is smart, obviously, but he didn't realize he shared any classes with Shikamaru. "What class?"

"AP Calculus." Naruto makes a gagging noise at Sasuke's answer.

"To hell with that. I can barely handle trig."

"You can barely handle any class, dobe."

"That's not true, teme! I'm passing all my classes with at least a B minus!" The blonde scrunches his face in a mock grimace at Sasuke, who just rolls his eyes.

"That's a surprise." Before Naruto can reply though, a blonde walks up to the table, next to Shikamaru.

"Are we still set for tonight?" Temari has a hand on her hip in a casual stance, and Naruto wonders why he's never noticed her before. She is really quite attractive, and has an air about her that screams hidden attitude.

"Sure." She nods at the short reply and without wasting another beat, walks off.

"Shika, what's going on with you two? You seem awfully close." The brunette shrugs his shoulders at Naruto's question.

"We have that project together. She comes over to my place to do it."

"Don't give me that," Naruto shakes a finger at him. "I saw you guys together at the bake sale."

Shika has the gall to just shrug his shoulders, as if telling Naruto it's nothing to be bothered about. But Naruto has always been a naturally curious person, and he can't help but wonder if the two are actually becoming an item.

What do people think about him and Sasuke, though? They too have been spending a lot of time together for the project, and were seen at the bake sale. Of course, they weren't seen holding hands. If someone had seen them on the bleachers though… Naruto's shudders to think of what sort of rumors would start flying.

Not that he would be upset for people to think he was with Sasuke! Hell, he would almost be honored that anyone would think the Uchiha would waste his time like that on him! It's just… He can already imagine the sort of things people would say. Particularly Sasuke's fangirls. It's all a moot point anyways, because Naruto is not interested.

That's what you keep telling yourself, a little voice whispers. Delusional. Naruto winces as if in physical pain. He is not. He's just confused by the recent closeness. As soon as he figures this all out and sets all his thoughts out into nice, straight lines, everything will go back to normal.

"Dude, you gotta quit getting lost in your own little world." Naruto snaps back to attention at Kiba's words, turning to give the mutt a puzzled expression. "Sasuke has tried to get your attention a few different times now, idiot."

Naruto chuckles sheepishly as he sees the raven glaring at him. It feels like there's another emotion in the boy's expression besides annoyance. Almost… worry?

"What's up, teme?"

Sasuke rolls his eyes, but doesn't retaliate. "When are we doing our meetings? We never spoke of times."

"Oh, yeah!" Naruto exclaims. "I'm off the next three days, so any time."

"Today and Wednesday; I have a debate meeting Tuesday."

"While we're making plans," Kiba cuts in, "do you want to train tomorrow after school?" He's looking at Naruto, and the blonde knows he means for soccer. Tryouts will start at the end of February, with or without snow on the ground. As team captain, he doesn't have to worry about making the cut, but he does have to worry about being in shape for the season.

Naruto groans. "That sounds horrible," he sighs in abject misery when he thinks of how cold it is outside. Winners were never born from sitting it out, though. "Let's do it."

Kiba laughs and starts picking up all his trash. "See you then."

Naruto sighs and looks at the time. "I guess we should be heading out. Noriko-sensei will flip if we're late."

"She'll flip if you're late," Shikamaru rephrases. "You're the one who's been late from lunch five times already."

"That is totally not my fault! Someone keeps putting my lock on backwards, so I have to fight to get it open!"

"Then just lock it yourself," is the practical advice from Sasuke.

Naruto grumbles about unsympathetic jerks on the walk out, but can't help the pleased feeling as he has Sasuke with him.

* * *

Naruto drops his bag on the floor, and slides into the booth, scowling the whole way.

"What's your problem?" Sasuke asks after a few moments of Naruto's attitude not simmering down.

"That jerk Sai is working tonight. We usually get pretty lucky and either Teri or Utakata is working."

"Sai is strange, I agree." Naruto snorts at the understatement of the year. The guy is a sociopath, but AJ has a thing for people with creepy personality disorders or something, because he's been working here the longest of all of them.

"He's a jerk and has no sense of what should or shouldn't be said and done." For example, asking Naruto if he was here to spend more time with his boyfriend, as "that cute boy" is sitting in the back waiting for him. Que sickening smile.

"Like you?"

"Come on, teme! I'm not really that bad am I?" It actually kind of hurts the blonde's feelings, to have Sasuke comparing him to that creep. Maybe the raven can see this, because his smirk softens, and he rolls his eyes.

"Dobe, don't be stupid." Sasuke stands up, stretching just a bit. "What do you want to drink?"

Naruto's startled gaze falls on Sasuke. He's gonna get the drinks for us, because I don't wanna deal with Sai? A smile breaks out on the blonde's face. "Just tea today, with three sugars."

When Sasuke comes back, he looks slightly more perturbed than he did when he left. Ah, Naruto thinks knowingly. Even Sasuke isn't immune to the creepiness that is Sai.

"How did it go?" Naruto asks, casting a nod off to the side, indicating he was talking about the order.

"He has no social etiquette." Sasuke says stiffly. Wow, the inky guy must have really got to him.

Naruto looks at the raven blankly. "Social what?"

Sasuke sighs. "Etiquette. It means knowing how to behave in public and in the company of others."

"You could have just said that."

"I didn't realize I was conversing with a child." Naruto's going to let that one slide. I mean, the guy did just go order for him to spare him the interaction. Though he can't help but think, Sasuke could use some of that social etiquette stuff too.

"What's todays topic?" He asks instead, changing the topic to something they rarely, if ever, argue about.

"Gender, focused on female." Sasuke raises an eyebrow at Naruto. "You seem like the type who's a secret feminist supporter, which is fine. But keep it down for the assignment, alright?"

"You don't know what I support!" But he's right. Naruto hates inequality of any sort. Whether it's for ethnicity, minorities, or gender norms.

"First question," Sasuke launches right in, "What is your personal perception of females in a social setting?"

"This again?" Naruto sighs and leans his head against his propped up arm. "Like I said, I don't consciously apply opinions to people when I first see them. When I see a female that I don't know, I just think, oh hey, that's a lady. Nice. I don't think, "look at that! It's a female! I must make it submissive!" I mean, it's ridiculous –"

"Naruto," Sasuke says in a warning tone. "You're already doing it."

"Sorry. I just think Kakashi really needs to change these questions a bit."

"These questions have been designed in a lecture room style. Meaning, a whole class should be answering them at once, probably resorting in a debate about the social psychology of the group as a whole."

"Then why are we answering them in pairs?" An exasperated Naruto asks.

"Take that up with Kakashi. I too, do not immediately see women as inferior to men. On first basis, they are simply another thoughtless human that needs to prove they are worth my efforts."

"Wow, Sasuke. Way to be a real people pleaser." Naruto can't help but wonder if he has proven to be worth Sasuke's efforts. Would he even know? Were these meetings any indicator of how Sasuke felt about him?

Sasuke gives Naruto a blank expression. "Too many people have proven to waste my time. Acknowledgement is no longer freely given out." Well, that settles it, Naruto thinks. He's basically telling me off right now with that line.

"Second question. Do you feel that woman are submissive, dominant, or equal to men? I think we pretty much answered this yesterday, as we both feel each gender is equal to each other."

How can he do that, Naruto wonders. Just continue talking like he didn't tighten Naruto's heart into a vice? Oh, that's right. Because he's Uchiha Sasuke and he doesn't give two fucks about anyone else. Just little ol' Sasuke in Uchiha world. Nothing else to see here, folks. Just –

"Naruto, are you listening to me?" Naruto comes out of his thoughts to see a rather irate Sasuke.

"I wasn't listening. Did you say something?" If Naruto thought Sasuke was irritated before, that had nothing on the death glare he was sending the blonde now.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke sets his pen down and leans back to fully take Naruto in. "You've had an attitude about one thing or another tonight. I didn't do anything –"

"No, of course not. Of course you didn't. Why even worry about what's wrong with me?" Naruto bites out. "It's not like I matter." Naruto cringes back on the inside, hating how spiteful and petty he gets when he's been hurt. But dammit! Here he's been, tearing himself up over what Sasuke could possibly mean to him, and the guy just told him he's nothing.

Sasuke rolls his eyes, utterly annoyed. "Where is this – " he cuts himself off, eyes widening for a moment, before settling into their usual narrowed state. A smirk plays on his lips and he leans over the table, closer to the blonde. "Dobe, you are one of the few people who has shown me they're somewhat useful."

Naruto eyes the raven warily at first, then almost searchingly. Did he mean it? Good lord, the blonde hopes he does. With all the strange thoughts and new considerations that Naruto has begun to acquire, Sasuke damn well better think something of him.

"Alright," Naruto says a bit stiffly. Sasuke just rolls his eyes.

"Can we get back to the assignment?" Without waiting for a response, he reads off the third question. "Is discrimination of females of any race a problem?"

"Of course it is," Naruto replies immediately. "There are so many ways that woman are discriminated against, and adding in a different ethnicity only makes it worse. It's horrible because half the time, society doesn't even pay attention or think it's a problem. It's just how it's been done for oh, forever. So apparently, might as well stay that way."

"Discrimination is of course, a problem. I think we're basically answering the next question with this one as well. Is discrimination of white females a problem?"

"Almost no different of an answer. White or not, women are discriminated against." Naruto can feel his interest in doing this assignment slipping; how can he be worried about the plight of women when he's too busy being terrified about the emotions swimming in his brain? He never once got this riled at a rejection from Sakura! Something is so wrong with him.

"How do your cultural identities affect these views?"

Naruto scoffs. "Pretty much everything teaches you that women are lower than men, whether or not people want to admit that they feel that way. In our culture, women are objects."

"Our culture and society certainly has work to do, and a long way to go."

Naruto grunts in response. He knows he's being a bit childish, he doesn't need Sasuke's glare to inform him. The blonde hadn't realized it would mean that much to him if Sasuke thought nothing of their relationship. Currently, Naruto is thinking too much of it. Something he wishes would just stop.

So softly he almost doesn't even realize it happened, Sasuke reaches across the table and pokes his forehead. The blonde blinks in confusion for a moment, before turning a confused stare onto the raven.

"Whatever you've been zoning out about constantly, stop worrying about it. It doesn't suit you."

Naruto blushes. So Sasuke has noticed how lost in his thoughts he's been getting lately, huh? That never happened before Sasuke, so half the blame gets to go on him! The blonde starts to say this, but stops when he sees Sasuke is already packed and getting ready to leave. Had they gone through all five questions in such a short amount of time?

"Don't kill yourself on the way home, dobe. Wait to drive till you can think straight." Naruto watches Sasuke disappear from the table, and a familiar loneliness settles in his stomach as he hears the door chime with his departure.

* * *

Coming out to train with Kiba is seeming like a huge mistake, Naruto thinks. For the last twenty minutes, the mutt has done nothing but grill Naruto on his new relationship with Sasuke. One that Naruto is striving to defend as nothing more than platonic.

"Come on, Kiba! It's not like that." I give the ball an especially forceful kick, hoping it might hit the dog lover in the face. "The only reason I'm spending so much time with him is because of that class."

"I'm in that same class, remember? Kakashi said we only had to meet with our partner two times a week. You've been hanging with Sasuke during school as well as for the class, and TenTen told me she saw you two on a date." Kiba kicks the ball back to me, not returning my anger.

"Well, that's just…" I fume, searching for the right words. "That's not fair! He invited me out to lunch! The teme isn't so bad to have around, you know? And it's not like I want him around!" Oh yeah, Uzumaki. Just lie straight through your teeth to the one person who knows you best. Good idea. Did you not just get extremely upset last night over the idea of Sasuke not wanting you around for more than the project? To think that the feeling only went the one way would be dense, even for Uzumaki Naruto.

"Uh-huh. I'm really convinced by that." Kiba snickers and shakes his head. "Ya know, Naruto," Kiba says seriously and without a hint of doubt in his voice, "I've always thought the energy between you and Sasuke was more sexual than hateful. Maybe you guys should just hook up already?" I stare at my stupid friend for a moment before calmly bending down and picking up the soccer ball.

"I think you have major issues, Kiba." And with that, I launch the ball at his face. Thankfully he wasn't expecting it and it hits him square in the forehead.

"Dammit, Naruto! Not cool." He rubs the spot where the ball made contact. "I don't get why you're even trying to deny it. It might not be obvious to others, but I've been your friend since day one, and I can tell that whatever you're feeling for Sasuke is ten times better than whatever you thought you felt for Sakura." He dodges the next hard kick Naruto launches at him. "And to be honest, I think Sakura has just been a cover up these last four years. Someone who you could use to mask whatever legit feelings you have for Sasuke."

"Stop it, Kiba. Alright? Just fucking stop." Naruto bites out the words, trying to refrain from all out tackling his friend. Why does he have to dredge up the one damn topic Naruto has been trying so hard to keep down all week? He can't deal with this. Doesn't want to deal with it!

"No, Naruto. You need to hear this. Because I think you're doing something inside your head to try talking yourself out of how you really feel, and it's a mistake."

Naruto laughs harshly. "It's a mistake to want to be normal?" He kicks the ball to Kiba, mostly in anger than any actual want to pursue their match.

"It is if it means hiding who you really are." Kiba returns the ball with just as forceful of a kick.

"I'm not hiding anything!" You're lying again, his mind whispers to him. Naruto grimaces and tries to ignore it, but he has harsh words coming at him from inside and out.

"You won't admit that you're into Sasuke because that makes you "not normal". Sounds like hiding to me."

"And so what if I am, Kiba? What good will it do me?" And there it is. The first real admittance to his feelings Naruto has allowed himself. Damn this mutt.

"How about an actual relationship with someone who wants to be with you, instead of chasing a mistake in a skirt around for another four years?"

Naruto sighs and just stands there, staring at the ground he's scuffing his foot against. "Sasuke would never want a relationship with me. He can have anybody." Something clicks in Naruto's brain; this is the second half of all his doubts and uncertainties, isn't' it? The first is Naruto's fear of societies views on same-sex relationships. He's gone through enough of that, thank you. He doesn't want to introduce a new topic into his life for people to reject him based on.

The second part that he's realizing with no lack of fear, is that Sasuke won't return his feelings, and then he'll be crushed. This is already so new and foreign. If Naruto were to be turned down by the one person who made him realize he could be interested in guys… He wouldn't take it nearly as well as Sakura's rejections throughout the years.

"And yet he chooses to sit with you, hang out with you, and socialize with basically only you. Come on, Naruto.' Kiba kicks the ball softly towards me. "Even you're not dense enough to think the guy has zero interest in you."

Except obviously, Naruto is. Because that thought has not crossed his mind. Sure, he's hoped that maybe Sasuke might like him, but it was never in anything other than a friendly way. He just wanted Sasuke to acknowledge him as much as Naruto does towards the raven. Which, now that they're on this subject, would technically mean in a romantic way.

"Kiba, this is just – it's a lot, you know?" Naruto looks pleadingly at his friend.

Kiba sighs and nods his head. "Yeah, man. I'll stop pushing. But you gotta stop denying it to yourself at least, okay?"

Naruto just nods, completely out of words. He came out here to get physically exhausted, not mentally. Damned Kiba and his need to mother me and my problems, Naruto thinks. Kiba picks up the ball, and pats Naruto on the back as he walks back towards his car. "I'll see you tomorrow, man."

Naruto waves unenthusiastically as he heads to his own car. He has far too much to think about right now. None of which he wants to think about.

It's not really an option, though. The entire ride home, the blonde contemplates different scenarios concerning him and Sasuke. He can just ignore Kiba and continue to do what he does. The easiest option. He can maybe pursue something with Sasuke. Nice and slow. Possibly never coming to anything. Still safe. He could just flat out tell Sasuke he likes him; the same way he did to Sakura. This option has a big red X going through it in Naruto's mind. It's the most upfront, likely to end in disaster method he could go about. He has to deal with the raven for the next three months. He can't fuck up or his life will be miserable.

Naruto sighs and parks his jeep, turning it off and leaning his head against the steering wheel. He can't do this. Just can't. He doesn't know if it's just coming at him too fast or what, but it's overwhelming beyond belief. How does anyone deal with things like this? The blonde is about to have a mental breakdown trying to even grasp the concept fully and honestly.

Naruto groans and pushes himself out into the cold night. Right now, he just needs to go to bed.

When Naruto steps into the foyer, he's immediately called upon by Jiraiya. "Hey brat, what are your plans Friday night?"

"Eh?" Naruto glances up at Jiraiya in confusion. "I have to work till ten, but after that, I got nothin'."

Jiraiya nods his head as if Naruto just told him something extremely important. "Make sure you come home for a bit, alright? Then you can do whatever you want."

Alright, this guy is acting weird right now. He's never asked Naruto what his plans are or to come home after school, not that he's around too often to make the request.

"What's the big deal?"

"Ah," Jiraiya ruffles Naruto hair again as he stands up and starts walking towards his room, "don't worry about it kid."

"What?!" Naruto exclaims at his retreating figure. "Of course I'm gonna worry! At least be curious!" All Naruto hears is Jiraiya's amused chuckle as he disappears down the hall. What is with people and dropping shit on him this week? Jesus, the guy just wants a calm night.

Deciding he's not dealing with anything else right now, Naruto makes his way to his bedroom, where he is determined to have a nice, eight peaceful hours.

* * *

Naturally, he didn't get a damn bit of it. Naruto had one of the most fitful nights of sleep in his life. When he pulls himself out of bed in the morning, he's not looking forward to the day ahead of him. He puts on his school uniform sluggishly, grabs his bag, and drives to school half asleep.

A state in which he stays all throughout the day. Not even Kiba's banter during homeroom or Sasuke's periodic gazes snap him out of it. He blew off any questions that Kakashi tried to ask him during History, instead favoring him with a far off glance.

When lunch finally comes around, the only place you would find Naruto is in the empty Japanese classroom, power napping through his hour lunch. It's here that the blonde feels his shoulder being pushed hard, and he raises his groggy head up to see a couple different Kiba's. He blinks his eyes a few times, all the while thinking how much it sucks that the mutt multiplied, because he didn't need more than one hounding him.

"Man, what the hell happened to you? You've looked like death warmed over all day."

"Tired," is Naruto's simple reply before popping his head back onto the desk. "You fucked me up yesterday," He admits truthfully in his sleep addled state.

"How?" Naruto drowsily glances at Kiba's perplexed expression, snorting at what he sees.

"By that stupid conversation."

"Man, I wasn't trying to fuck you up. You just," Kiba sighs and takes a seat, running a hand through his thick hair. "You just need to be happy. Come on, man. Have you ever wondered why you were so content to chase after Sakura and not date any of the other girls that have tried to get with you? You can't tell me it's because you truly hoped Sakura would wake up, because we both know it was never gonna happen."

Kiba gives the blonde a stern look. "Ever since we started going to school here, you've had it for Sasuke. He's always been the one who can get a rise out of you, literal or figurative." Kiba laughs when Naruto's foot shoots out to kick his chair. "Seriously, give it a chance, okay?"

Naruto lays his head down on his arm. "You don't know what you're asking," he says muffled.

Kiba shrugs his shoulders. "I won't argue there. I've never had to deal with anything like this personally. But I don't think it should be any different from crushing on anyone else. You like someone, you like them."

"It is different, Kiba. Guys are attracted to girls, and vice versa." Naruto sighs heavily. "So how does a guy ask another guy out, and not expect to get shot the fuck down? And what will people say?"

"One, Sasuke is gay, okay? He's never even looked at a girl with anything more than disgust."

"He looks at everyone like that," Naruto interjects.

"Except you. Did you see how worried he was about you today during homeroom?" Naruto shrugs his shoulders, but Kiba isn't paying any attention. "And what the fuck do you mean, what will people say? Who the fuck cares about other people? I'm trying to make sure you're happy! Society can go to hell in a hand basket if they wanna judge."

Naruto groans but finally lifts his head up. "Alright, mutt. I get it. You care." Naruto sighs and shakes his head. "Probably one of the few people who do, you know? When things calm down a little, and I get a bit more in tune with this all this, I'll try. Okay?"

Kiba ruffles Naruto's hair before getting batted away by the blonde. "He likes you, idiot. Don't worry about it." Yeah, easy for Kiba to be so sure of that. He's not the one who has to work with the most withdrawn boy in the entire school. Not that Sasuke has been unfriendly to him. In fact, the project has got them closer. Not that Naruto is having a walk in the park due to it. His life would probably be easier at the moment if this project didn't exist. He wonders idly if anyone else is having nearly as much drama due to it as he is.

At that thought, Naruto perks up. "Dude, how are things going with Hinata?" Ah, the immediate blush that comes to the mutt's face is heaven sent to Naruto. He's not the only one dealing with a crush. Though Kiba has known about his a lot longer.

"She…" Kiba sighs and gives Naruto a dopey smile, causing the blonde to sigh and shake his head. "She's awesome, man. She's really quiet, but when she gets comfortable she busts out some witty damn one liners. I uh, I actually asked her out for this weekend." Kiba has the decency to blush, and Naruto grins at his obvious embarrassment.

"That's awesome, man. You've only been crushing on her since sophomore year when you noticed she existed."

Kiba laughs, and Naruto feels a bit of weight lift off his shoulders. He smiles honestly at his friend, and wants to thank him for being there. But you know what, Naruto thinks. The boy already knows the blonde needs him. It's why he came.

* * *

Naruto sluggishly walks to his locker, ready to get out of here for the day. His last three classes seemed to drag by, and he didn't even enjoy cooking.

"Dobe." Ah, the root of Naruto's restless night is leaning against his locker. Naruto's not sure which irritates him more; the jerk just standing there watching him and making it obvious he has no intentions to move, or how the blondes heart skips a beat at the sight of him.

Stupid fucking crushes, the blonde thinks bitterly. Doesn't even let me get annoyed properly anymore.

"What do you want, teme?" Naruto makes sure to stand off to the side of him, so that way he doesn't have to look directly up at the raven. This way, he can stare at the long row of highly interesting lockers.

Sasuke sighs and Naruto feels something pull on his arm, making him lurch forward a bit. Startled, he finally looks up at the boy. Sasuke is – naturally – looking very annoyed and also very handsome. Naruto internally groans. He really doesn't need this. Not at all.

"What's wrong, dobe? You've been off all day."

"I just didn't get much sleep," the blonde mutters out.

"Why not?"

Naruto sighs angrily and glares wholly at Sasuke. "Does it matter?"

"We have a meeting today, but if you're not fully here to do it, then we can change. You're brain dead on a good day." Despite the insult, Naruto can hear the shift in the raven's voice – he's trying to prod Naruto into opening up.

Naruto's gaze softens, and he shuffles from one foot to the other. "No, I want to do the meeting. I'll get through it."

Sasuke leans forwards and pokes the blonde's forehead, before pushing off from the locker entirely. "See you at the café."

The blonde watches him walk away, before getting ready to follow after him. Might as well get it over with. He's certainly not going to wake up with the more time that passes.

Naruto breathes deeply as he sinks into the booth, a plain cup of coffee in his hands. Getting through this meeting at some level of decent alertness is a must. Sasuke is already giving him a raised eyebrow.

"I'll answer the majority of questions, and keep it short and simple. Just make sure you write everything down."

This causes Naruto to grin. "Awh, teme, are you going easy on me?"

"I can't risk frying what few brain cells you have left, dobe."

Naruto rolls his eyes, but the grin stays in place. "Whatever, I'm not going to argue. Let's get started then, yeah?"

"Question one: What constitutes a minority? How do you perceive minorities in society? A minority is a group of people that are in some way different from the larger populace. This can be due to reasons such as ethnicity, religion, age, disabilities, and sexual orientation."

Startled eyes dart up from writing this down as Sasuke says that last bit. Oh, come on. Please don't let this be a topic of discussion today. Naruto really doesn't think he can handle it.

"Second question ties into the second part of the first: Do you feel that minorities are discriminated against. Minorities are typically discriminated against, for one reason or another. They are usually underrepresented in society, or seen as social abnormalities. Society does not tend to be kind to many minority groups, though that is a rather general statement to make.

"Are minorities stereotyped?" Sasuke scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Of course they are. Everything gets stereotyped in our society. Some worse than others, but it mostly always results in anger and hurt."

Sasuke stops talking, and Naruto takes a moment to just let this topic sink in. What are the odds that today's meeting would touch down exactly on one of his worries? He would marvel at the irony of it all, if it wasn't so terrifying.

"Do you feel that your cultural identifies are heavily prejudiced against minorities? Culture and society in general are prejudiced against anything they can't wrap their perfectly normal minds around. If it's different, it's wrong. And the last question." Sasuke pauses again and glares down at the paper. "Do you belong to any minorities? If so, name them."

Oh, shit. Naruto flinches back from the question. Well, if he wanted an opening for telling Sasuke anything, here it was. Offered up on a sharp, pointy silver platter. He can feel himself starting to get highly nervous, and he has to set his pencil down so it's not obvious how badly his hands are starting to shake.

"We belong to an ethnic minority, of course," Sasuke starts calmly, but Naruto can see in his eyes that he too is bothered by something. Sasuke leans back in his seat and studies the blonde coolly. "What do you know of the LGBT community?"

Naruto lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Um," he begins dully, "that's sexual orientation, right? Lesbian, gay, bi, and trans?"

Sasuke nods his head once, not taking his gaze off Naruto. "I belong to that minority."

Naruto brings in a harsh breath, and rubs a shaky hand along his temple. "You're not fucking with me, are you? You didn't talk to Kiba and think this is funny?" Naruto turns a sharp and searching glare to Sasuke, who is eyeing him with narrowed eyes.

"Talk to Kiba about what? I do not associate with him unless I'm around you."

How honest does Naruto want to be right now? How honest can he be? Here he is, being offered the chance to be as forward with Sasuke as he is with everything else in his life that he wants. The only fear that is left is rejection on a personal level, not because Sasuke doesn't swing that way.

"Kiba thinks that…" Oh god, how does Naruto even go about wording this? "That I'm interested in you." The blonde states quickly but clearly. He starts to blush furiously at the raised eyebrow he receives.

"And are you?"

"Maybe? I'm working it out." There. Honest, and not too damning.

Sasuke rolls his eyes, but doesn't do anything to demean the blonde's admission. "It's difficult, isn't it? Coming to terms." Sasuke doesn't look at Naruto when he says this, but distantly out the window. And at that one statement, Naruto's heart eases up. Here is someone that, at some point in their life, had the same crisis Naruto is currently going through. While Kiba could sympathize with Naruto, Sasuke could actually empathize.

"Does it get easier?" Naruto asks hopefully. "Figuring things out?"

"No." For the first time in the years that Naruto has known him, the blonde see's true sadness on the raven's face. "But it gets easier to ignore the things that make it hard." Sasuke starts putting his stuff in his bag, and without saying another word to Naruto, leaves the café.

* * *

Naruto yawns as he walks through the front door. Today has been pretty tiring and he's ready to just sleep till tomorrow afternoon. No amount of worrying over sexual orientation is going to keep him up tonight, unlike the last two nights. It's finally Friday, and he can sleep for as long as he wants.

"Hey, brat. Come in the living room." At the sound of Jiraiya calling to him, Naruto remembers it's not thoughts of a raven that's going to keep him up tonight. How could he forget that Jiraiya asked him to come home tonight for some cryptic reason?

Thankfully, the blonde hadn't made any plans while his brain went on vacation. Naruto makes a detour to the kitchen to grab a peach before heading to see what the old man wants.

"So, what's up, gramps?" Naruto plops down on the couch, crossing his legs and leaning back to get comfortable.

"Well, kid, it has to do with your parents. Before I get started, I'm just gonna let you know, a lot of sensitive info is about to come up." Jiraiya takes a seat at the kotatsu. "I know we don't talk about them much, but I try to tell you what I can when you ask."

Naruto nods, not entirely sure where Jiraiya is going with this. He can feel a ball of panic starting to settle in his stomach. The peach he grabbed earlier sits forgotten, loosely palmed in his hand. They almost never have talks like this, not unless Naruto instigates them.

"I'm a little late on doing this, because I was supposed to sit you down on New Year's. But you know how my tours go," Jiraiya shrugs his shoulders, not about to apologize for something him and the blonde knows he doesn't feel guilty over. "And your parents lawyer is a damned piranha. Took me ages to get the account officially released, and the letter turned into my possession."

"Gramps," Naruto cuts in, very confused at this point. "What's going on?"

"Your parents left you some money, Naruto. A lot actually. They're entire savings, and any money that was left in their bank account and not needed for funeral expenses. The account has been vaulted up because they didn't want anyone to have access to it until you were eighteen. You're free to do what you want with it, but they made it very clear that you should read this," Jiraiya holds up an aged envelope. "Before you decide what you want to do."

Naruto is starting to feel sick and antsy now, the usual reaction he gets when talking about his parents. "This sounds very… preplanned, gramps. I thought they're deaths were an accident?"

Jiraiya shakes his head. "It was ruled as one because they couldn't prove otherwise. But your father was a political businessman, and he made a few enemies. In the weeks leading up to their deaths, they started taking preemptive actions. I told them they were wasting their time, but your father… He had a knack for just knowing things."

"Then what really happened?" Oh god, a deeply rooted fear inside of Naruto begs him to resend this question. We don't really need an answer to that, his mind whispers to him. We can carry on just fine without knowing. But he can't. He would be betraying everything he thinks he knows if he stepped back now. "Was it really a car accident?"

Jiraiya snorts in anger. "Hardly an accident, if you know the people who had it in for your father. It happened just a week after you were born. You were a bit premature, but your mother was healthy as can be. She was released from the hospital a few days before the accident, and your father and her were driving back to see you when the car exploded." Jiraiya sighs and runs a palm over his eyes.

"The cops couldn't find any evidence that it had been staged, so it was ruled an accident. I got a call from Tsunade a few hours after the event had been reported. Being your godfather, and listed in your parents will as the chosen guardian should anything happen to them, I followed all the regulations and court procedures to take you home."

Jiraiya pauses for a moment, surveying Naruto. "I didn't want to keep you in L.A. I couldn't risk those people realizing Minato had a son and returning to finish off the family. Tsunade was kind enough to set me up for a few weeks while I got a place together for us. That woman has always been there when we needed her." Jiraiya shakes his head, seemingly done with his story.

Naruto, on the other hand, has been sent careening off a cliff. Where he's currently drowning in an ocean of agonizing information. Jesus, Jiraiya has never shared this much with him. Even getting his parents' names when he was younger has been something akin to a murder investigation. And he only told him his parents first names. He just assumed that he had his father's last name.

"Why now? Why tell me all this now?" Naruto throws his hands up in the air. "You've had years to fill me in. Years of me begging for answers. But now, at a point in my life when the mystery that is my parents is the last thing on my mind, you unload all this on me. Why?" Naruto doesn't mean to let so much pain fill his voice, and he truly tries his hardest to blink back unshed tears. But dammit, this isn't fair. It's too much all at once.

Jiraiya sighs but looks directly at Naruto. The blonde can tell he's hurting too, but he tries to keep a stern face on so only one of them is breaking down. "Honestly kid, I didn't want to talk about it. Minato was like a son to me, and it ripped something fearsome up inside of me when he died. And you mother," Jiraiya gives a sad sort of chuckle.

"She was a firecracker. To think about a woman like that having her spark robbed way before her time…" Jiraiya shakes his head. "I wouldn't have been able to talk about them without breaking down, kid. You didn't need that."

Naruto sighs and rubs a hand over his eyes. "It's alright, gramps. I get that. This is just a lot."

"It's about to become more, brat." The old man waves the envelope. "Don't forget you gotta read this."

Naruto eyes the envelope like it's about to become a snake, ready to sink its fangs into his wrist the moment he dares to grab it. With shaky hands, the blonde reaches out and quickly pulls the envelope from Jiraiya's grasp. He lets it fall into his lap as he looks at the faded writing on the back.

 **To Our Dearest Son**

The blonde closes his eyes and breathes in a deep, shaky breath. "Do you mind if I go to my room? I just feel…"

Naruto doesn't have to finish before Jiraiya is waving him off. "Go on, brat. Do whatever you need to."

Naruto slowly stands up, not trusting his legs to support him right now. He walks mindlessly to his room, turning the letter over and over again in his hands. This is the first piece of them he has ever received. The first of any sort of proof that he had parents at one point in time, other than seeing their pictures in a photo album Jiraiya had given him when he was younger. That didn't really count though. Those weren't pictures that were meant for him to have.

This was different. This was… Terrifying.

Naruto sinks onto the edge of his bed, not entirely prepared for opening the envelope, but not being able to put it off. The nerves, anticipation, and dread that have been building inside of him since Jiraiya first started telling him the truth, combined with all the other problems of the week are going to spill over. God, he just can't handle this. He wasn't ready for this when Jiraiya told him he wanted to talk. He wasn't –

Naruto drops the envelope to the floor and quickly bolts from his bed and to the adjoining bathroom, vomiting everything he ate for lunch. He continues to dry heave long after there is anything left in his stomach.

Breathing heavily, he leans his arms against the bathtub and tries to relearn how to breathe nice and slow. Well, that's just great, Naruto, he scolds himself. Go and get sick at the first bit of info you ever receive. No wonder Jiraiya didn't tell you when you were younger.

The blonde slowly pulls himself to his feet and turns to lean against the sink instead. He makes the mistake of looking up into the mirror, where he sees a sad boy with red, sallow eyes with no glow to them, skin just as ashen, and a grimace gracing his mouth where a smile usually lies.

He groans and opens the cabinet, pulling out his toothpaste and brush, ready to get the disgusting taste out of his mouth. He doesn't close the cabinet door again; he has no intentions of seeing that stranger in the mirror.

When he finishes, he walks with as much strength as he can muster back to his bed, picks the envelope from the floor, and without a seconds more hesitation, pulls it open and begins to read.

 _Dear Naruto,_

If you are receiving this letter, it's because something happened to us. And for that, we are so truly sorry. Sorry to leave you alone and not be there to see you grow. We so wish we could be standing by your side through every endeavor you find yourself, but as it is, all we can do is watch you from heaven.

Your god father, Jiraiya, has been instructed to give this note to you on the New Years of your last semester of school. This might seem strange to you, but your father and I have agreed this is the best time to mention it.

It was always a hope of ours that you would attend college, and we hope this is something you are striving to do. No matter what you choose, we support your decision.

However, should you want to go to college, we have set aside a fund that has enough money in it to support your entire way. You've had access to this account since you turned 18, but we asked Jiraiya to not mention this to you, until you had this letter.

You see, your father and I wanted you to know your options before you had access to so much money. We wanted you to know our wishes for you.

Again, this decision is yours, honey. Only you can decide what is right for your future. We cannot control what you do with this money, and Jiraiya will not stop you from spending it as you wish, if you choose to not go to college.

I so hope this letter never has to come to you though, my son. I hope this proactive measure is just a silly precaution on our part, much as Jiraiya has told us it is. I hope that we are standing by your side as you decide what path to follow in your life.

But do know, that no matter what you decide to do, we love and believe in you. Not just on what you decide to do about college, but any decision you make in your life. You have our full support. I hope you've grown up headstrong and passionate like me, and strong and admirable like your father. You will go so many places in your life, Naruto, and we will always be there to guide you.

 _With the sincerest love,_

 _Your Parents_

Naruto closes his eyes and lays back on his bed. That nauseas feeling is coming back to him, but he refuses to be sick again. He rolls onto his stomach and wishes he could block the world out. Of all the times for him to learn about this, it has to be now? During the last semester of his senior year? When he already has so much else going on? I mean, come on! He's just now learning new things about himself. Things he didn't think were possible. His mind trails to Sasuke, before he quickly pushes those thoughts away. Now is not the time or place to be picking up that train of thought.

The blonde groans and rolls back over, looking to see what time the clock displays. Ten thirty at night. So much for getting any sleep.

Naruto pushes himself to his feet and pads out of his room. He stops by the living room quickly to see if Jiraiya is still up. The old man glances up from the program he's watching to look at the sudden immergence of his godson.

"Hey, I think I'm gonna go for a drive. Some fresh air could do me good." Naruto gives him a weak smile. Jiraiya nods and returns the halfhearted smile, not bothering Naruto any further.

Naruto has no idea where he's going. His only intentions are to drive. Maybe the winding backroads that twist their way through the woods he lives in will be able to clear his thoughts. Maybe they'll just confuse him more. At this point, he doesn't really care.

He drives for what feels like hours, though it really couldn't have been more than one. The only thing that halts his mindless midnight drive is the gas gauge dinging at him, begging him to fill the tank up. He sighs, not wanting to cut his drive short, but also not wanting to be stranded in the middle of nowhere. The road he's on will take him into the heart of downtown.

Naruto sighs to himself as he shuts the cooler door. He feels like the night has just been pausing him in a blur of fragmented moments. After his conversation with Jiraiya, he hadn't been able to stop. Hell, he hadn't been able to stay put. Too many thoughts are racing through his mind, making him fidget and not hold still. He thought that maybe getting out the house would help, but so far no such luck has graced him.

When Naruto glances up from the display of drinks he's been staring blindly at, his attention is drawn to a familiar raven walking through the door. Naruto is taken aback. What is he doing here at midnight?

"Hey," Naruto speaks just loud enough to be heard, getting the boys attention. Sasuke glances over and for a moment, surprise flits across his face before going blank again. Seeing that Sasuke doesn't seem annoyed at his presence, Naruto detours from his original path and comes towards him.

"Why are you up so late?" Sasuke doesn't waste any time with formalities, does he?

"Eh," Naruto shrugs his shoulders, "wanted to go for a ride and stopped to get gas and a drink." Sasuke nods in understanding. Naruto can't place the feeling, but seeing Sasuke at such a time of crisis calms him down. Why does having him near make him feel better? Hell, Naruto could remember a time when seeing Sasuke did the exact opposite. Is it just because of the new light he's seeing him in?

"And you?" Naruto asks with a hint of uncertainty to his voice.

Sasuke glances off to the side, and doesn't return his gaze while he speaks. "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk."

"Oh." This comes as a surprise to Naruto. "You live close to hear?"

"About three miles away." Naruto openly gapes at Sasuke's answer. His extended silence seems to catch the raven's attention, as he finally turns his attention back to Naruto. He raises an inquisitive eyebrow. "What?"

"You walked three miles to get here?"

"Obviously, dobe." Naruto bristles at the response, but doesn't strike back. The last thing the blonde wants to do right now is push Sasuke away. The opposite, quite frankly. Naruto's agitated state has finally begun to calm down, and he can't help but think it's from this boy. Naruto's eyes nervously dart to the side, but soon return to Sasuke.

"Would you… like to go to Java's with me? If you'd like, I can give you a ride home afterwards."

"Is she even open right now?"

Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "Maybe. Depends on how many people have been walking in. Doesn't hurt to see. It's just a block or so away."

Sasuke nods in agreement, and Naruto can feel himself easing up already. The blonde beams back at the raven, giving him a bright smile. "Great!"

They walk silently together in the crisp night air. Most of the snow and ice has melted with the sun earlier in the day, but there are still patches the boys have to go around. More than once already Naruto has felt himself slipping on a thin sheet of ice, but a hand would firmly grip his upper arm to right him. On one particularly nasty patch, Naruto nearly face-plants onto the hard sidewalk. The only thing stopping him is Sasuke's quick reflexes.

Naruto gives him a sheepish grin and rubs the back of his neck. "Thanks."

"I'm used to you being a klutz at this point." Naruto scrunches up his nose in mock disgust at Sasuke's smirking face.

"Whatever, teme. You know you love saving me." The words come out before Naruto can think of any implications it might insinuate.

Sasuke doesn't respond, but steps in front of Naruto to pull open the door to the café. Naruto didn't even realize they had arrived, so caught up in just being here with him.

Stepping halfway through the opening, he peeks around the corner. Naruto lets out a happy sigh as the warm air invites him to come in. The boys step inside the cozy building, already thawing from the January air.

"AJ, you in here?" Naruto calls out while removing his gloves.

"Where else would she be? The lights are on and the door was unlocked."

"Yeah, but there are no customers. And she didn't respond to the doorbell ringing." But before either could ponder the absence of life in the small café, the blonde owner pops her head out of the kitchen. Momentary surprise colors her face before morphing into smile.

"What brings my favorite boys in here at this time of night?"

"Can't sleep," they say in unison. AJ laughs and shakes her head.

"Let me get you something to drink. Hot chocolate and a double shot latte?" She nods to each boy as she says their preferred drinks, and then sets out to make them.

Naruto and Sasuke head to their usual seating, sliding into the booth and shrugging off their coats. Naruto can't help but feel like this is so natural to him now. How many times have they done this in the last month? Six? Seven? Two times a week since that project began. God, it doesn't seem like a month has already passed. Did it really only take a couple weeks of talking to Sasuke to realize he actually enjoys the ravens company?

And what about him? Does he feel the same way? Does he enjoy Naruto's company? A part of Naruto – a far too optimistic part – truly hopes and believes he does. If Naruto had run into Sasuke a month ago in a shop, they would have glared daggers at each other, not agree to go out for coffee.

Still, that doesn't really easy Naruto's thoughts down on all this. The fact remains. He's having… Feelings towards Sasuke that he can't place. Not so much that he can't place them, more that he doesn't want to. He's already admitted to the possibility of being gay. Does he really have to name his feelings for Sasuke as well?

Because a small part of his mind is screaming at him to forget this whole thing. Forget how nice Sasuke looks when he lets his guard down and smiles for a moment. Forget how warm and peaceful he feels when he slides into this booth across from him. Forget how open Sasuke gets when he feels comfortable and loses some of that edge. Forget all the little pieces of this boy's life that he's come to learn in the past month.

Because something, something will happen to shatter it all. It's like a pretty glass picture that Naruto gets the joy of staring at. Eventually though, staring won't be enough. He will reach out, and he will touch that beautiful image. And all will shatter beneath his fingertips.

Naruto knows this. Even if it's only a small part of his subconscious. He can feel that something has to give. The loose coil of fear that slowly winds itself tighter in his stomach when he starts to think about these things. It begs him to run before he gets in too deep.

But how can he? When this is the best feeling he's ever had in his life? This feeling of being at peace and being accepted. How can he be expected to give this up? Especially right now, when the only thing that feels right to Naruto is the raven sitting across from him. He wants to laugh at the irony of it all. His life as he knows it is currently crumbling, and the only thing that feels like it's still holding its space is Sasuke. The boy who has been his rival in love for years, but is somehow turning into… What? His love interest?

"What happened to make you so quiet?" Naruto jerks his attention to Sasuke, not even noticing that he had been anxiously staring out the window since they sat down. Sasuke is watching him with a hint of interest, causing Naruto's cheeks to burst with color. "This isn't just because of our previous conversation; you've been fine in homeroom towards me."

What should he do? Tell Sasuke the truth? That this whole night has just been a clusterfuck of things the blonde doesn't want to deal with? That he never really got over his parents missing out on his life? That he was just given a letter from them, expressing their wish for him to attend college? Something he sincerely hadn't considered doing. Or that the whole ordeal has opened up a hole in his heart that he thought closed a long time ago? Maybe he should mention the internal struggle he's having concerning the raven himself? Naruto just bets he would love to hear that.

None of these things sound particularly fun to talk about, but Naruto doesn't want to lie to him either. It's never been the blondes strong suit.

Naruto takes a deep breath and decides to just go for it. "My godfather told me some hard hitting news earlier. It's just not sinking in well."

Sasuke arches an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?" The thing is, Naruto doesn't. Care, that is. In all actuality, he wants to talk about it. He feels like maybe it will help him understand the situation as well.

"You know my parents are… gone." Naruto starts tentatively. Sasuke nods his head in acknowledgement.

"Well, they've never been around. Passed not long after I was born. It was supposed to have been an accident… At least, that's what I've always been told." Naruto breathes in deep again, praying the air could somehow calm his frantic nerves. "Anyways, they expected something was going to happen. They left Jiraiya a letter to give to me on New Year's, expressing their best wishes for me, and their hopes that I'll go to college." At this time, AJ comes over and places the drinks down. Both boys thank her, and she walks away with a smile.

Naruto absentmindedly plays with the spoon in his drink while he thinks of how to continue. "I just… I wish they had given me the letter sooner. Because I had zero plans on going to college. But now I feel like I should. I mean, it's the only request I've ever heard of them having for me." Naruto sighs and looks up at Sasuke. "I just feel like it's too late to decide to do this. It's nearing February, and I haven't applied anywhere."

"There are several universities in the area that accept late applications. The absolute latest tends to be the beginning of March. If you seriously want to do this, I can help you find some schools and proof your essays."

Naruto just stares at Sasuke in awe. "You would do that? You'd help me that much?"

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders. "If it is important to you, I see no reason to not help you further yourself." Sasuke's serious expression breaks out into a smirk. "Besides, only an idiot chooses to not go to college. Higher education is the only way to get anywhere."

"Bullshit, teme! Lots of people have managed to become somebody without a college degree!"

Sasuke raises his eyebrows, the smirk still evident. "Those people were intelligent. You have no such claim."

Naruto sputters indignantly, but can't think of anything to say in retort. But when Naruto looks at Sasuke's expression, all traces of annoyance vanish. The raven is almost smiling, seeming pleased with Naruto's reaction.

"Don't worry about it, dobe. If you want to do it, we'll figure it out." He says it so casually, like it's just a walk in the park. Sasuke's nonchalance calms Naruto down a bit; he can see a bit of hope on the topic. If he has Sasuke backing him up, is there really any reason he can't do it?

"Yeah, I want to do it." Naruto gives him his best smile, earning him a slight scoff and an eye roll.

"If you're free tomorrow, you can come over to my house and we'll see about applying to some universities."

Naruto's eyes shine at the idea, but his drive quickly dies down. "I work from four to eight."

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders in a casual manner. "Come over afterwards."

"But I don't know where you live!"

Sasuke stands up and starts to pull his coat back on. "You're about to find out." At Naruto's slightly confused stare, he adds "you offered to give me a ride home."

"Oh!" Naruto exclaims. "Of course!" That smile is back. The great Uchiha Sasuke is really going to let Naruto know where he lives? After he made a big deal about not wanting him at his house?

It's official, Naruto thinks boastfully, nobody can resist me. Then promptly starts blushing when he thinks of Sasuke not being able to resist him in other ways. That is so not where his thoughts need to go right now. He's about to be in a car with him for three miles. Thoughts need to be clean!

Naruto shivers the moment they step back into the cold air, and has to talk himself out of just going back inside the café. Why did he have to come out so late during the end of January? The nights are frigid here.

Whether it's due to both boy's dislike of being frozen, or just Naruto's nerves in general, they arrive back to his jeep much quicker than they left it.

The blonde unlocks his jeep before they reach it, and immediately starts up the heat when he gets seated. He takes a quick glance over to Sasuke, who's already situated and looking comfortable, though his typical blank expression is on his face.

"Take a left when you leave," the raven instructs. "Do you know where the lake is?"

Naruto nods. "Yeah, it's almost out of city limits?" He asks questioningly, giving the raven opening to correct him.

"I live next to it."

Naruto whistles low. "That's an expensive neighborhood." In fact, Naruto had never even gone up that way because it was mostly residential, and he had no reason to be hanging around. It's the type of neighborhood where if someone saw a boy wearing jeans and an orange t-shirt just walking around, they'd likely call the cops.

The conversation between them is nonexistent during the drive, save the occasional direction from Sasuke. When they do enter the neighborhood, Naruto slows his driving immensely. Damn, the houses through here are nice. Even in the dim light of street lamps he can see that.

"Go to the end of this block, then make a right." As Naruto follows the direction, he turns onto an empty street, save for one house. A three story, dual towered stone mansion rests on a massive lot. Naruto openly gapes at the place. The blondes house is pretty damn nice, but it doesn't look this classy!

"Nice, teme." Sasuke scoffs lightly at Naruto's awed voice.

"I'll see you tomorrow evening." Naruto nods to the raven, confirming their scheduled… Date? The blonde shivers a little bit at the thought.

"Have a good night, dobe." Sasuke pushes the door to the jeep open, and steps out onto his driveway. Naruto waits until the raven has reached his front door before pulling back onto the street, deciding to head home himself.

Despite all the shit he's had to deal with tonight, and this week in general, he feels like he might finally get some decent sleep.


	5. Beginnings

**Authors Note :** I love you guys all so much! I can't even describe how wonderful every single one of you beautiful souls are. If I could hug you guys, I would! The support was amazing and wonderful. And oh-so needed. This chapter was really difficult to pop out just because I wasn't feeling the scene (I prefer Naru/Sasu just being alone together). So please tell me if it feels off/wasn't written very well. For that reason also, this chapter is about 3,000 words shorter than I would usually like. But I just keep staring at it and not getting anywhere, so we're moving on!

I'm also a little frustrated right now with FF formatting. I was reading through my last chapter on the site as a refresher, and it's just so annoying that my space breaks don't take effect on the site! I only put line breaks when it becomes an entirely new day, and do space breaks between scenes. But oh no, they don't actually show up here… This is rather frustrating as scenes just blend into one another. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong? [Edit: I am currently re-formatting this issue :) ]

With that being said and without further ado, I will give you your long-awaited chapter.

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 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse. **  
**

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

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 **Part II : Exploration**

 **Chapter 5 : Beginnings**

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Naruto nervously glances down at his outfit, making sure he doesn't have baking ingredients caked onto his clothes, or coffee stains seeping into his jeans. His shift has just ended, and he's been wracking his nerves since he woke up this morning. All he's been able to do is worry about going to Sasuke's tonight. He hasn't had time to even think about the reason he's going; his parent's letter pushed from his mind.

So what if they're both gay? Well, okay, on Naruto's part it's more of a bi-curious thing. Though he doesn't like the way that word fits in his mouth. Like he's just testing a new option out. He is aware that he is interested in Sasuke, not much to be curious about concerning that. But, he's not interested in any other guy.

Not that he didn't sate his interest today, on whether or not he might be attracted in other people of the male gender. Every guy that came in – around Naruto's age bracket – the blonde surveyed. And not a single one appealed to him.

Is it just Sasuke then? Like that's not a terrifying thought. Of all the people to be attracted to. And sure, Sasuke is also into guys, but that doesn't mean he's into Naruto. Despite what Kiba says. Naruto finds it highly difficult to wrap his mind around the great Uchiha wanting him.

Naruto groans, leaning his head against his steering wheel. He's been in his jeep for ten minutes now, just going over all this. He should be at Sasuke's right now. Getting himself to go is another matter.

Alright Uzumaki, he tells himself firmly. You are going to just ignore all of this. You're gonna keep treating Sasuke like you always do, and get the fuck over it. No sense in tormenting ourselves. Naruto nods his head in agreement at his inner dialogue.

Just because he's been aggressive in the past towards romantic interest, doesn't mean he has to be now. The blonde is actually pretty sure being upfront with his interest in Sasuke would be a good way to get himself killed. He's seen the raven reject sweet, sincere, and timid girls; the blonde wants no part of that. He'd probably hit the jerk if he gave him that cold 'get real, I'm too good for you' look.

Naruto sighs in frustration and puts his car into gear. He's not doing very good at ignoring this problem. Not good at all. Maybe getting into motion will clear his mind of the issue. He reaches a hand out to start blasting his stereo to drown out any thoughts.

Driving into the rich neighborhood peaks Naruto's nerves, and he quickly turns down his stereo. The last thing he needs is for someone to call the cops on a bright orange jeep for disturbing the peace.

Sasuke's parents must be loaded to afford this place. Naruto stares adoringly at the stunning home, almost afraid to even drive down the sloping drive. The whole property is enclosed in uneven gray stone fencing, two pillars marking the opening to the house. In a similar stone, the house stands at three stories, with a small winding staircase leading to the front patio. Even the front door is glamorous! There's a balcony above the doors sloping V roof, and on either side of it stands the towers Naruto noticed last night. Dear lord, how many windows are there? At least fifteen on the front of the house. The blonde lets out an awed whistle; completely petrified at the prospect of meeting the owners of such a mansion.

He cautiously drives down the small dip from the road into the drive, and parks his car outside the double-doored garage. Naruto takes in a deep breath, tries to calm himself down, and pushes open the door of his jeep.

The amount of nerves the poor blonde feels coursing through his body sky rockets when he rings the bell. Is Sasuke even still on board for tonight? He didn't send a confirmation text, not that he has to, of course. Though it would have been nice. Maybe he changed his mind. Maybe he decided that helping Naruto wasn't worth his time. He could have decided that the blonde was not up to standards for introducing to his apparently well off parents. His parents could have told him no! Oh god, what if his parents answer the door and tell him to leave? They could absolutely do that –

The front door opens to reveal a nicely dressed raven, and just the one Naruto wants to see. He breathes a sigh of relief and smiles at the boy who broke through his derailed train of thought.

"Hey, teme," Naruto tries to not sound nearly as flustered as he feels. Does Sasuke always look this good? The blonde is sure he would have noticed if he did.

"Dobe." There's that smirk. Sasuke holds the door open and waits for Naruto to skip through it before shutting it quietly.

Naruto looks curiously – but still very timidly – into the living room off from the foyer. The beautiful house seems eerily quiet, and Naruto can't help but feel no one lives here. Not even Sasuke.

"Are your parents' home?" The blonde turns to look at Sasuke, but the raven is moving past him and towards the staircase.

"Follow me," is the completely irrelevant reply. Naruto rolls his eyes but trails after him anyways. The stairs let out into a small gathering room, with doors leading off of it. Naruto notices that this is where you get to the balcony from as Sasuke leads him into a room towards the back of the house.

The blonde is startled as he enters the raven's room. Where he expected it to be as dreary and bleak as the raven's attitude, it is surprisingly white. The walls are all done in solid pure white; no tinted tones in here. The only contrasting color is the black of the leather platform bed. Even the curtains to the triple floor-to-ceiling windows are a sheer white. Naruto's eyes widen at the gorgeous view from those windows. You can see the entire lake and the surrounding forest from here! In the winter's embrace of frozen and bare trees, Naruto can't imagine a scene that more perfectly fits Sasuke.

"Damn, Sasuke. Nice room." Naruto says appreciatively and honestly. Thankfully the raven's bed is situated right next to that view, so the blonde sits on left side of the bed, facing the windows. He doesn't ask Sasuke if it's okay to be on his bed, but unless he wants the blonde on the cold floor, there's no other option except for the computer chair.

Sasuke doesn't seem to care, and he immediately launches into the whole point of this visit. "There are several universities you might be interested in. Konoha Private University is a fairly all-encompassing school, that mostly caters to business and science, but they do have some arts programs. I think they have a culinary degree.

"Then there's the Culinary Arts University of Konoha, which you should definitely be applying to. If you feel you could handle it, you could do full time courses there, and partake in part time courses in business at a separate university.

"And there are several other smaller schools you can apply to, that might not have a culinary degree, but will definitely have a business management degree. I think your best course of action is to shine on the CAU application and essay." Naruto stares at Sasuke like he's speaking in tongues. Mostly because he barely followed any of that, but also because he's not used to hearing Sasuke say so much. Even during their project meetings, Naruto does most of the talking.

"Do you think we can just pull these up on the computer, and we'll go from there?"

Sasuke rolls his eyes but obliges, grabbing his laptop from his desk and sitting it on the bed, taking a seat next to the blonde. Naruto leans over to be able to see what he's doing, putting him excruciatingly close to the raven.

Sasuke seems to take no notice of the blonde's proximity. "Apply to CAU first. We'll worry about the others later." The raven pulls up the university website and navigates to the admissions page. "It is a private university, so the requirements are steep. You need to write four different essays, get two letters of recommendations from teachers, one recommendation from the guidance counselor, and one personal recommendation."

Naruto looks at Sasuke is pure horror. What? Seriously, what? He can't do all that! He couldn't do all that if he was given a year to put it together!

Sasuke must notice the terror coursing through the blonde, because he sighs and leans back, focusing his gaze on the blonde alone. "We are going to get this application started and at least halfway finished tonight. You have me to help with the essays, and you always have plenty to say. Just put it on paper. All the recommendations will be easy for you to get. Kakashi will give you one, as well as Kurenai. And you're quite close to Iruka; he'll be more than happy to write your guidance counselor letter. As for the personal, your guardian could write something, no?"

Naruto groans and falls back into the pillows behind him. "It's just so much, you know? I can't even get the recommendations till Monday at earliest, and there's no way they'll write them by the end of the day. And Jiraiya isn't really a good person to ask for something like that. He's not the most reliable person ever." An idea pops into Naruto's mind. "AJ could write me one though, and it would even pertain to the degree."

"See, it is possible. Just start." Sasuke pushes the laptop towards Naruto. The blonde sighs and eyes the sleek piece of technology with loathing. The next several hours are going to be hell.

And hell, they are. Naruto isn't even two hours in before he rolls over, groaning and rubbing a hand over his eyes. He finished the easy part – the enrollment application. Getting his SAT scores submitted was also a walk in the park as compared to his current task. Writing the personal essay. What is he supposed to say? He may seem a bit cocky and arrogant in the spur of the moment, but he has a bit of performing anxiety when put on the spot. Only a narcissist can write an essay that brags about themselves.

"Dobe, why are you making this so difficult?" Sasuke sighs and scowls at the blonde. "I had to write many of these and had no issues." See? Point proven. Narcissist.

Naruto sighs and closes his eyes, willing away the headache that is forming. Why did he ever think this would be possible? University is so not his thing. There's a reason he decided to not go, and the random letter from his deceased parents just momentarily confused him.

Naruto feels the bed dip next to him, and he figures Sasuke is just sitting down to read over what he's written so far. "Sasuke, let's just quit, okay? It's not gonna happen." When the blonde opens his eyes and turns his head to the side, he's greeted by the profile of Sasuke's face right next to him.

Startled, the blonde tenses for a moment. Instead of sitting on the bed next to Naruto like the blonde had originally thought, Sasuke has laid down. He currently has the notebook Naruto has been writing in, studiously reading over what little the blonde has written.

Given that Sasuke isn't even paying attention to how Naruto's eyes are roaming over him, the blonde takes the rare opportunity to just watch Sasuke. The raven has a wonderfully sharp and narrow jaw line, made even more ethereal with the pale color of his skin. His eyes are narrow by nature, even without him furthering it with a glare. And the color! That deep brown, so close to black you can barely tell the difference between his pupil and iris. Even his nose is sleek and slim.

But really, it's the raven's lips that keep drawing Naruto's attention. As Sasuke reads over certain parts of the essay, he'll lightly mouth the words as he goes. Naruto watches in fascination as the slim but full lips slightly part every now and then on certain words. Naruto is so mesmerized by this act that he doesn't even pay attention when Sasuke stops looking at the notebook, and instead shifts his gaze to the blonde next to him.

When Naruto does realize Sasuke isn't reading anymore, it's only because Sasuke props himself up on one elbow and the other arm goes across the blonde to brace the raven that is now partially draped over Naruto.

The blonde wildly shifts his gaze from Sasuke's arm straddling him, to the raven's face. What is going on? He almost feels caged, but it's not a cage that he's particularly against being in.

Sasuke slowly leans his head down, and as Naruto's brain panics that he's going to be kissed by the raven, he instead lightly brushes his nose against the blonde's cheek as he gently moves towards his neck. "You need to focus, dobe," he whispers against his ear. As quickly as Sasuke decided to be against Naruto, he's moving away. Pushing himself off the bed and walking towards a door at the front of the room, he turns around momentarily to tell a stunned Naruto he's going to take a shower, before pulling the door closed behind him.

As for the blonde, he's doing his best to not hyperventilate. Well, that just about proves it. The blonde is for sure interested in Sasuke. Not even a tiny sliver of his mind is feeling repulsed at the event that just transpired. If anything, he needs to go take a shower himself. A very cold one.

Naruto sighs and groans, furiously running a hand against his cheek. He is not going to think about this. He can't. He'll go insane if he just obsesses over little things like the most intense crush of his life purposefully getting in his personal space.

The blonde rolls himself off the massive bed, grabs the notebook and pen, and moves to sit at Sasuke's computer desk. The easiest way to get it off his mind is to stress himself out with something else. Namely, all the essays he needs to write.

The goal of the essay he's been working on is to write about the writer's personality, experiences, perspective on life, and his accomplishments. While that may sound easy, it's the one that Naruto is struggling with the most. Instead of wracking his brain for the answers they're searching for, the blonde decides to switch to the essay about extracurricular activities.

Naruto sets about to writing, and more time passes then he realizes. He noticed when Sasuke emerged from the bathroom but studiously ignored him. He noticed when the raven then left the room again, but still didn't question anything.

It's not until the blonde smells something cooking that he's lifted from his task at hand. He groans and stretches his arms above his head, looking down at his work. He somehow has managed to get through three of the essays – extracurricular, intended major, and the short one about why he wants this university. The only one left is the personal essay.

Right now though, these essays are the farthest thing from his mind, because whatever Sasuke is cooking smells pretty good. As if on queue, Naruto's stomach rumbles. He groans again and pushes himself up and out of the comfortable chair. It's not like he can avoid the raven forever. Especially considering he's currently in his house.

The blonde makes his way downstairs in pursuit of food, and is again struck by the beauty of this place. The majority of the walls are in that gray uneven gray stone, but certain areas have regular flat wall. The contrast to each other is striking and attractive. Thankfully, while the house may be huge, it is laid out simply and open. Finding his way to the kitchen is no difficult feat.

Sasuke turns a quick glance to him as he enters, but promptly resumes his cooking. Now that Naruto is so close, he can smell and see what it is the raven set about to making. On the island behind him, Sasuke has a pan of tortilla shells open and waiting to be filled. In a pan on the stove, he has diced chicken in some sort of white sauce, and it looks like he's added pineapple to it- or at least, that's what Naruto assumes the yellow chunks are. Judging by the aroma, it's all already cooked and ready to go.

Sasuke shuts the burner off, and Naruto watches him spoon some of the mixture into each of the shells, before sealing them closed with a bit of water. He cautiously holds the tray with one hand while he pulls open the door to the oven, and slides them inside. Upon completing his task, he drops the potholder he had used onto the island, and turns to Naruto.

The blonde wonders if they're about to have a conversation about what happened earlier, though he doesn't think he'd be able to articulate any sort of feelings he had on the event. He would probably just stand there blushing like a schoolgirl in front of her first crush, which is what he's sure is happening as it is.

But when Sasuke does speak, Naruto nearly scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Have you finished with the essays?" Typical teme, only worried about the academics of their relationship.

"All except the personal one," Naruto sighs and rubs a hand along the back of his neck, a habit that has always soothed him. "I just don't know what to put for it."

"You'll figure it out. We'll look over it tomorrow."

Naruto's eyes snap up to watch Sasuke move past him, towards the dining room and then out of sight. The blonde hurriedly scampers after him, entirely confused. "Tomorrow? You want me to come back?"

"I assumed you would be staying the night, considering it's going on one o'clock in the morning." Sasuke doesn't look at him while he says this. Instead, he picks up the remote to the huge TV in the living room and flips it on to a movie station.

Well, Naruto honestly didn't know that it was so late. Being so wrapped up in those essays stole more time from him than he realized. Be that as it may, the blonde isn't so sure he can stay the night with Sasuke. That close to the object of his affections, all night? Nope. This sounds like a bad idea. A very bad one. Especially considering the raven doesn't seem to mind getting close to the blonde. Then again, would that really be such a bad thing? Getting to sleep next to Sasuke has got to be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Maybe Naruto is just silent for too long, or maybe the expression on his face says it all, because Sasuke sighs and rolls his eyes. "There is a guest bedroom, dobe. You'll be staying there."

"Oh," Naruto says, a combination of relief and regret coursing through him. "Okay." It certainly calms his nerves to know he won't be in the same bed as the raven, but it also makes him a bit sad to know he missed the chance. Not that he really wanted it!

"Choose a movie. Nothing stupid." Sasuke hands the remote to Naruto and leaves the room again. The blonde shrugs his shoulders and sits on the end of the sectional sofa, flicking through the large selection.

He's just chosen an older action film – one of his favorites – when Sasuke comes back in carrying two plates. He sets them down and then walks away again, with the blonde staring bewilderedly after him. Since when is Sasuke so… gracious? Either Naruto has the guy figured out completely wrong, or he's just a good host.

The raven comes back again, this time with two drinks. He hands one to Naruto before taking a seat on the floor in front of the coffee table. The action is reminiscent to Naruto of the kotatsu at his own house, and he grins while following suit.

"I'm surprised you don't eat at the dining table. Never figured you for the kind to eat in the living room while watching TV." Naruto folds his legs Indian style and shifts around until he's comfortable.

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders. "I typically do eat at the dining table so I can do homework as well. I figured this would be more comfortable for you." Huh. Naruto never would have thought that Sasuke was trying to take the blondes' comfort into consideration. He certainly almost hit the mark, letting him sit and eat in a style he's familiar with.

"You know, it wouldn't be difficult to turn this into an actual kotatsu," he says out loud. At the raised eyebrow he receives from Sasuke, he explains to him what he was thinking. "You really just need a heater, some tools and hardware, a big blanket, and another board of wood that matches the tabletop. And there you go! A kotatsu."

He receives a slight scoff from Sasuke, acknowledging his idea. Trust the teme to sound annoyed when he's just letting you know that he doesn't disagree. The blonde smiles before turning to his food. Who knew Sasuke could cook? Upon taking a bite of one of the quesadillas, Naruto is further surprised by how good it is. Grilling chicken well can be a bit of a feat, but Sasuke seems to know what he's doing. The raven put some tortilla chips on his plate as well, much to Naruto's great satisfaction. Who can resist those?

The boys eat quietly while watching the movie Naruto chose. The blonde barely pays any attention to the raven next to him, until he see's movement from the corner of his eye. Bringing his attention to Sasuke, Naruto watches as he stands up with his plate. The raven leans over and grabs Naruto's plate as well before leaving for the kitchen.

Without the presence of his host, Naruto starts to feel nervous and uncomfortable. What if Sasuke's parents walked in right now and see the strange boy sitting on their living room floor? The blonde would be mortified and terrified! Scrambling to his feet, Naruto starts to take off for the kitchen, not realizing that Sasuke was returning already. Smacking into the raven, Naruto groans and comes to a halt.

Hearing a frustrated huff from Sasuke, Naruto timidly peeks up at him. "Dobe, what are you doing?"

Naruto chuckles sheepishly and rubs the back of his neck. "I was worried your parents might come home and just see me…"

Sasuke sighs in annoyance. "My parents will not be coming home, Naruto." He doesn't say more, but sidesteps the blonde and returns to the living room. Naruto watches from his position in the dining room as Sasuke shuts off the TV, and starts heading for the stairs again. Tossing a glance back at Naruto, he starts disappearing upstairs.

Naruto slowly follows behind, quite confused by the last statement Sasuke made. He sounded almost sad when he said that. Now, Naruto is aware he's not the brightest kid in the world, and he's pretty dense most of the time. But, he can tell when someone is in pain. While the emotion is so strange on the Uchiha, it doesn't stop Naruto from seeing it.

"Sasuke," Naruto starts slowly, "can I – "

"The guest room is here," the raven cuts Naruto off from asking his question. "We'll start the applications again tomorrow." And just like that, Naruto is being shut out. An immense sense of sorrow overwhelms him. Though it's only a door that Sasuke shut between them, the blonde feels like he's been closed off from the raven entirely. Any progress or knowledge he's learned about the boy in the last month feels like it's been severed. For some reason that the blonde can't place, that clenches at his heart more than he cares to admit.

Sighing, he tears his eyes away from the door and turns the handle into his own room for the night. This room is also done up in white, shining ghostly pale in the darkened room. Naruto shivers in discomfort and makes his way to the dreary, empty bed. The blonde doubts he'll get much sleep here.

* * *

But he has to try. Stripping down to just his boxers, Naruto curls up under the dark sheets. He wills his eyes to stay closed and his body to stop tensing. Sleep will be a long time coming.

"Do you have plans for today?" Naruto blearily rests his gaze on Sasuke, not really processing the question.

"With you, yeah?" Naruto mumbles out against a pillow, already feeling his eyes weighing heavily once more. After a long pause with no reply from the jerk who woke him up in the first place, the blonde slowly drifts out again.

Lightly, almost not even there, Naruto feels something ghosting along his bare back. His sporadic sleeping habits tend to pull his blankets down around his waist, and being a human furnace has led him to not be bothered by that. But right now, he feels vulnerable.

Startled, Naruto's eyes shoot open wide and he shivers at the sensation along his skin. Rolling his shoulders to shake the feeling, the blonde glances up to see Sasuke at his side. The raven has a hand outstretched towards Naruto. In his sleep hazed mind, it takes him a moment to process what happened. Was Sasuke touching him? Judging from the almost challenging gaze the raven has leveled at him, he believes so. Why else would his hand be hovering over him?

"Teme," the blonde starts warningly, entirely unprepared for his space to be invaded so early in the morning.

"I want to take you somewhere. Get up." Sasuke drops his hand back to his side, but not before lightly gliding along Naruto's feverish skin once more. The raven turns around and leaves the room without saying anything else. Naruto watches him with interest, before dropping his head with a groan. Can he really deal with this? He's not sure if Sasuke is always this touchy to his guests, or if he's just using the knowledge of Naruto's crush against him.

Either way, it's torture.

Doing as told, Naruto drags himself out of bed and starts to pull on his clothes.

"Alright, teme," Naruto says, walking into Sasuke's room while pulling his shirt over his head. "Where are we going?"

Sasuke gives him an once-over and scoffs. "Nowhere until you change."

"Into what?" Naruto asks indignantly. "I don't have any other clothes." Instead of replying, Sasuke motions to the folded clothes at the foot of the bed. Still glaring at Sasuke, Naruto hesitantly ruffles through the clothes, seeing it's just a nice, navy blue polo and a pair of classy jeans.

"Take a shower and change." Naruto returns his glare to the raven. Suddenly the jerk is being bossy again, after being so nice last night! The blonde huffs in annoyance, but grabs the clothes and moves to the bathroom. He gets through the shower quickly and steps back out into Sasuke's room. When the raven's eyes find him, the blonde blushes at the approving nod he gets. It has nothing to do with the fact that Sasuke apparently finds him good enough to look at, if the lingering stare means anything.

"What are we doing, anyways?" Naruto mutters, wanting to bring any attention away from his looks.

"You'll see." The raven sets about to grabbing his keys and phone, ignoring Naruto.

"Come on, you can just drag me around."

Sasuke raises a perfectly arched eyebrow at the blonde, but otherwise doesn't respond. Pushing past Naruto and heading downstairs, he makes it apparent no answer will be given.

Naruto rolls his eyes and fights down the annoyance. Why exactly is he even agreeing to go? He could easily just get into his own vehicle and go home. The thought makes his chest tighten and stomach feel queasy. He doesn't want to leave the ravens company yet. Not to mention, he'll be alone at home. Offering too much time to think of other things. Dead parent things…

Naruto shivers the thought away and hurries after Sasuke. What they're doing today isn't really important, is it? At least he'll be in the company of someone he likes.

The blonde internally groans at that. Little details like that slip his mind. Will he be able to be near Sasuke all day without making a fool of himself? Last night was hard enough, and the raven left him alone for the majority of it. Can he handle actually doing something with him?

Well, the blonde thinks as he steels his nerves, he'll just have to. He's not going anywhere today, so long as Sasuke wants him around.

"Don't you listen to the radio or anything?" Naruto says exasperatedly after twenty minutes of driving in silence. The atmosphere between them is awkward enough without the quiet. The blonde feels like his head is going to explode with all the unspoken thoughts.

"I prefer not to." Sasuke speaks without taking his eyes off the road. "I can contemplate better that way."

Naruto gives him an incredulous scowl. "Well, I don't. Can we turn the radio on, or do you have any CD's in here?" The blonde pops open the glove box, hoping to see a few cases. No luck.

Sasuke scoffs but reaches a hand out towards the faintly glowing dials. With the press of a button, the car fills with the sweet hum of music. Naruto immediately relaxes back into his seat, closing his eyes in comfort. The noise takes his mind off all the stress he's endured the last week or so, and he just listens to the lyrics.

That is, until he blearily opens his eyes just as they're passing a green road sign, informing them they are 32 miles away from Seattle. Naruto swivels his head to look at the dash clock. Sure enough, forty minutes have gone by since they left Sasuke's house.

"Are we going to Seattle?" Naruto peers curiously at the raven, who nods his head curtly. "Why?"

Sasuke sighs in irritation and sends a quick glare to the blond. "I have acquaintances there."

"Well, sure," Naruto says perplexed. "What does that have to do with me, though?"

"Will you just shut up and let it be a surprise?" The harsh glare tossed at the blonde sends his blood boiling.

"So sorry for wanting to know where I'm being taken!" Naruto shouts back with no lack of venom. God, this guy insists on riding every one of his nerves. The blonde sits staunchly and stares out the window in mute anger for the duration of the trip.

It's not until he starts to see large businesses and shopping centers stream by that his interest peaks up again. He's never been to Seattle before. While Konoha is a large city, it's not even close to Seattle's size.

Sasuke seems to be familiar with the city though, as he makes calm turns through the busy streets. He's not using any sort of navigation device, and seems to know exactly where he's going. It makes the blonde wonder how much time he spends up here, and why.

Naruto's attention is torn from his thoughts as they turn down a flashy street, full of restaurants and shops. The blonde continues to marvel at the sights until Sasuke parks outside a massive building. The raven shuts the engine off, clicks his seatbelt loose, and pushes his door open with no time wasted. Giving a stern glance over his shoulder, he makes it apparent Naruto is supposed to follow.

Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto makes his way out of the vehicle and onto the bustling sidewalk. Following Sasuke's steps, they walk towards large, double glass doors. Fancy, swirling lettering is written above, but Naruto hardly pays attention as they go inside.

Naruto nearly chokes from astonishment as he enters the foyer to the massive, gorgeous restaurant. Rendered completely speechless, all he can do is stare in wide-eyed wonder. Dark, richly colored walls with low lighting set a cozy and sensual atmosphere. Mahogany booths and tables, a marble-topped bar, the glittering chandelier. The whole place screams five-star fine dining. Naruto's eyes roll up to take in the high-beamed ceiling. For a moment, he thinks he's died and gone to his own personal heaven.

"Sasuke," the blonde manages to get out through the awe, "we cannot afford to eat here. They wouldn't even seat two teenaged walk-ins."

"I didn't bring you here to eat, though we'll probably end up doing that as well." The raven calmly walks to the receptionist, standing behind her little podium.

"Hello," the heavily flirtatious tone tears Naruto's stunned gaze from the room around them, and to the server. She's a pretty brunette, but Sasuke's eyes are hard as ever. The blonde feels a flash of joy, before quickly pushing it down. It's not kind to feel happiness at other peoples expense. Even when they're flirting with your crush.

"Tell Elliott that Uchiha Sasuke and his guest have arrived." The server bristles at the commanding tone the raven gives off, but moves from behind her station and towards another set of glass doors.

Naruto nudges Sasuke's shoulders, and motions towards the girl. "Who's Elliott?"

Sasuke ignores the blonde's question, but for once it doesn't rile him. His gaze is drawn back to the marvelous dining room. He's not entirely certain, but Naruto thinks he can see a lounge towards the back. A few business men in expensive looking suits are around a large table, laughing and drinking despite it being no later than noon. The blonde snorts to himself, wondering how nice it must be to have so few obligations.

His eyes are torn from the backroom scene as he hears a door open and shoes clicking towards them.

"Sasuke, it's been too long." An elderly, polished man in a dark gray suit with hair to match shakes hands with the raven. Sharp, black eyes take in Naruto. "You must be Uzumaki Naruto. Sasuke has spoken highly of you."

When? Naruto wants to ask, but the word doesn't pass his lips. The man has an intimidating air about him; from the stern posture to the firm shake he gives the blondes hand. It undeniably unnerves the blonde. He's never been around someone so well-off and successful.

"Naruto wants to attend culinary school this fall. It's a good opportunity for him to see a well-run kitchen and its operations." Wide, blue eyes land on Sasuke. He's going to actually be in the kitchen that caters to this dining room? Naruto all but swoons. This is too much. There's no way he can accept such a favor.

"Of course it is," Elliott proclaims proudly, as if the only part he heard was the compliment. "I assure you, we have a fine kitchen, with a magnificent head chef. Come, let's introduce you." Before Naruto can state his disapproval for this whole situation, Elliott and Sasuke are walking towards what Naruto presumes to be the kitchen.

Maybe he can sense Naruto's displeasure, because Sasuke reaches his hand out to grab Naruto's wrist and pull him forward. The blonde stumbles but doesn't pull away. He sighs in annoyance but accepts the defeat. He doesn't want to seem ungrateful that Sasuke planned this for him, but the blonde knows he's entirely inadequate to be in this situation.

Elliott holds the door open for the two boys, who quietly slip inside the huge kitchen. Jesus, Naruto thinks, is everything in this place three times larger than needed? The entire shop of Java's could fit into this kitchen alone. And there would still be room. Not that the bakeries kitchen has anything on this one, anyways. It's all stainless steel appliances and more counter space than you could ever really need.

Naruto fails miserably at keeping his eyes from turning into saucers. It's just so beautiful! He could live in this kitchen and be happy. The floor is sparkling so bright, he wouldn't even mind sleeping on it.

Standing at one of the gleaming counters full of various ingredients is a young blonde man in classic chef attire. Upon their entrance, his attention must have come to them, as he's looking at the newcomers with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

"Joshua, these are guests of mine." Elliott says as he motions smoothly for the boys to follow him. "Sasuke and Naruto," he says respectively as he motions towards each boy. Joshua nods and gives a wide, earnest smile.

"It's nice to meet you boys. Sorry I can't shake your hands," he chuckles quietly while shrugging his shoulders.

"Naruto wants to be a professional chef, and intends on going to culinary school. Would you mind showing him some of the ropes of running a kitchen?"

Joshua beams at the younger blonde. "Absolutely. I'm always pleased to help someone learn the craft."

"Well," Elliott lightly claps his hands together. "I'll leave you boys to it for a couple hours. Sasuke, would you like to catch up in my office?" With a short nod from the raven, Naruto and Joshua are left together.

Nerves spike in Naruto, who's never been very good with one-on-one strangers. He sheepishly smiles at Joshua while running a hand through his hair. "I'm not really prepared for this, you know? I was sort of unknowingly tossed into it."

Joshua barks out a laugh and winks at Naruto. "That makes two of us. We'll figure it out as we go, alright?" He signals for the younger blonde to follow after him, as he leads them around a large double door fridge. Seemingly, that huge fridge blocked off the view of the entire backside of the kitchen. There's even more appliances back here, including a sizzling grill that takes up the majority of the space.

"Mike, Tyler, Scott," Joshua points to three different guys working around the room. Each one glances up from their task as Joshua says their name and either waves or nods. "This is the crew. Without them, I'd burn this kitchen down." The older blonde smiles down at Naruto before turning his attention back to Scott; a tall and thin man with dark hair pulled into a ponytail. "Do you mind taking over while I show Naruto around?"

"Leave it to me, boss." Scott winks at Naruto and flashes a good natured smile before turning back to his work.

"With that, let's get you washed up and ready to cook." Joshua shows Naruto over to a wash basin, while casually looking over what the others are doing.

"They all seem like good coworkers," Naruto offers up sincerely, enjoying the beam of a smile he gets for the compliment.

"They're seriously some of the best people I could ever hope to work with. Elliott gives me full control of the kitchen and who gets hired. I did a damn good job of choosing them, if I may say so."

Naruto laughs easily as he follows Joshua back to his counter of ingredients. Arrays of chopped vegetables, still on the cutting board, are waiting for them.

"Now," the chef says intently, "we are mostly a steakhouse, but since we open at eight o'clock in the morning, we also serve breakfast. We've recently incorporated a healthy menu into the mix to appeal to more people. It's taken off pretty well, thankfully. This dish is from that menu." He bends down and grabs a baking sheet from the storage shelf under the counter. "Grab that foil on the edge of the counter and let's get these going." Naruto does as he's told, and watches Joshua form sheets of the foil into two bowls.

"This is a chicken and vegetable foil pack." The chef moves along the table as he speaks, pointing to specific ingredients as needed. "Peppers, cucumbers, mini corn-on-the-cob, onions, and snap peas. The chicken breast is over there getting a light grilling done to it as we speak."

Naruto watches in mild fascination as the chef grabs outwardly random handfuls of each ingredient and tosses them into the foil package. He repeats his actions for the second bowl, and despite the haphazard appearance of his method, both packs come out identical.

"That's amazing," Naruto breathes out. "I tend to work fast, but never so neatly and precise."

Joshua chuckles. "Comes with repetition. This is our most ordered dish on the healthy menu." He pinches out some seasoning from an open jar near the cutting board, and sprinkles it over the vegetables. "House mix. Sort of a Cajun-style seasoning. It's put on the chicken as well." Joshua picks up the tray and moves over to the grilling area, moving with a sort of casual finesse Naruto can only admire.

When the older blonde finishes that, he turns back to Naruto. "Alright, half the fun of being in a kitchen like this is getting to cook in it. I'm gonna pull together some stuff for you to use, and you get to cook whatever you want. Sound good?"

Naruto nods excitedly, barely able to contain his energy. He gets to cook in this kitchen, for real? Has Christmas come late or what?

"Okay, kid, go wild. Make whatever you want with these ingredients." Naruto glances over the wide array of things Joshua set out for him. Different recipes start running through his head, until he stutters to a stop on the perfect one.

Not wasting any more time, he starts to grab various ingredients and sets about to cooking. Finding his zone, he melts into his work and lets his passion take over.


	6. Tests

**Authors Note :** Last chapter I have to reformat entirely! So happy to be here :)

Main authors note is at the bottom, as it talks about the events within the chapter and I don't want to spoil anything!

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 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse. **  
**

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

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 **Chapter 6 : Social Tests**

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It's been a good two hours now since Sasuke arrived at Ember's with Naruto, and the idiot still hasn't left that kitchen. The whole point of bringing him here was to spike his interest and give him some motivation to write those essays, but the raven doesn't want to spend all afternoon waiting for him. His good deed can only go so far, and it's about to expire.

His frustration might also have something to do with that. Why does he feel so compelled to help Naruto out, anyways? The boy has been nothing but a nuisance in his life since they met four years ago. If he's not bitching and whining about one thing, then it's the other. He always has something to say, even when no one else wants to hear it.

Though, to be honest, Sasuke has always taken a sick sort of pleasure in hearing what the blonde has to say. If for no other reason than to put him down, then watch him bound right back up fiercer than before. The blondes reserved attitude this last month has unnerved the raven more than he cares to admit. At first, he couldn't figure out why he was so bothered by this. Truly, it's a blessing that the blonde has learned to shut his mouth once in a while. But, when "once in a while" becomes the majority of the time, it's concerning. Even to the Uchiha. The newfound bashfulness of Naruto greatly intrigued Sasuke, to the point that he didn't realize it was becoming something more. It wasn't until Sakura cornered him at school and insulted the blonde, that it became apparent he was feeling things he shouldn't.

That in turn, made him get a bit protective of the idiot. After Ino cornered Naruto that day and Sasuke intervened, it appeared the girls felt the need to take proactive measures to wooing Sasuke for Sakura's sake. A wholly wasted effort. But if those girls are anything, it's insightful. Women don't miss signs that they might have competition. Even if Naruto didn't fully realize his interest in Sasuke, those meddling woman certainly did. All Sasuke did was strengthen their resolve by coming to the blondes rescue.

So, maybe he let himself get in over his head. Perhaps he got a bit too invested in the blonde; a little too emotional towards the whole thing. All they're supposed to be doing is a project together. Not having lunch dates and sleepovers. Both of which Sasuke initiated…

This is really Naruto's fault, when you think about it. Sasuke was doing just fine keeping to himself and not getting involved, until the little blonde idiot had to go and say he was second-guessing his sexuality due to the raven. Not like it's the first time Sasuke has heard something along those lines, but it was the first time it came from someone so desperately chasing a girl.

And what's with that, anyways? One day he's fawning over Sakura – the day the project started, even – and then he's suddenly done with her. Well, Sasuke doesn't know for a fact that Naruto is done with her, he admits begrudgingly to himself. He just assumes so because the blonde is displaying an interest in him now. That doesn't mean he can't be interested in both.

With this thought, Sasuke's irritation bubbles over. The thought of sharing attention with anyone else, let alone that pitiful example of a woman, irks him to no end. You do not directly admit to Uchiha Sasuke that you have a romantic interest in him, and then turn around and be interested in someone else to. The nerve of some blondes.

The fact that Naruto told Sasuke that he was losing interest in the pinkette doesn't do much to sooth Sasuke's nerves. That could be chalked up to a lapse in his judgment due to anger. But he did also seem pretty annoyed with Sakura the day of the bake sale. Was that jealousy over Sasuke? The raven took it as such at the time, and let his possessive nature take over momentarily. He's tried quite hard to not get that close to Naruto again; he seemed quite scared at the time. Though he didn't keep to that very well last night. Seeing the blonde sprawled out on his bed, having his confession running though his mind. Even Sasuke can lose his composure every once in a while. Did Naruto enjoy having Sasuke that close? Did he want him to stay? To go further?

The raven closes his eyes and breathes in slowly. He needs Naruto come back and break this silence, so his mind can stop swimming in these thoughts. This is why getting involved with people is a horrible idea. There's too many "what if's" involved. Too many possibilities and not enough certainties. Naruto doesn't even know yet if he's really into men. If there's anything Sasuke hates more than hesitant interests, it's being an experiment.

He doesn't want to be a social test for the blonde to decide if this is just a phase or not. And he certainly doesn't want to enter a relationship with him. He would lose his mind. The blonde is hardly worth tolerating. How could Sasuke possibly deal with Naruto having an open invitation into his life on such a level? If they did start anything together, it would purely be a physical relationship. Sasuke cannot see Naruto being okay with that. The boy is a starry eyed romantic, if his previous crush is any example.

"Hey, Sasuke!" The raven looks up to see the boy of his thoughts bounding towards him. "Why did you choose to sit back here?" Sasuke chose it because he noticed Naruto eyeing it earlier when they were standing in the entrance. He assumed the blonde would like to see it closer.

"It's quiet." Sasuke narrows his eyes at the idiot. "You took too long."

Naruto's eyes widen as he processes what Sasuke says, and then his mouth catches up. "You didn't give me a time limit! And Joshua was showing me how to cook different things and letting me make stuff!" Naruto huffs and sits down roughly across from Sasuke. "Speaking of which, he said he'll be right out with food for us."

"Hn," is Sasuke's only response. No point in pressing the topic. He doesn't really feel like arguing with the blonde right now. He has plenty of questions he wants to ask him, but none that he's willing to voice. Asking questions admits to having an interest, something that Sasuke will not do.

"What's up, teme? You're giving me attitude when it was your idea to come here." Naruto pouts and refuses to look at Sasuke, choosing to study the pattern on the carpet. "If it bothers you that much to spend the day with me, don't invite me out."

The hurt tingeing the blonde's voice causes Sasuke a bit of guilt. Why does it always feel like he's just kicked a puppy when Naruto sulks? He rolls his eyes before leaning across the table. Extending an arm languidly, he flicks Naruto on the forehead, drawing the blonde's wide-eyed attention back to him. "Did you learn anything today?"

A euphoric grin breaks out across Naruto's face, and he nods his head quickly. "Yeah! It was a lot of fun and everyone was so nice! And I got to see what a real, functioning kitchen in a restaurant is like! Java's is nice and all, but it's definitely catered towards being a bakery, rather than a full-on operation." Naruto tilts his head to the side and shoots Sasuke an honest smile. "Thanks for bringing me here."

That smile is underhanded and cruel, the raven reasons out. Entirely unfair as well, given the blonde has no idea how much innocent, flirtatious appeal goes into it. Sasuke can't help but think it's highly dangerous for Naruto to be casting smiles like that to a boy who had him pinned to a bed last night.

Knowing Naruto though, he probably didn't take that as any sort of sexual advance, anyways. He really is too naïve.

"You're going to finish the essays when we get back. You should be motivated now."

"Yeah, absolutely!" Naruto all but bounces in his seat. "I have experience I can talk about now."

"You work in a bakery, dobe. You've always had experience."

Naruto shakes his head fiercely. "This is different," he says in an awed whisper. "It's like my whole world has been expanded!" The blonde stretches his arms out to either side as he exclaims this, earning an amused arched eyebrow from Sasuke.

"You really are just a dobe." Naruto sticks his tongue out at the good-natured insult. Apparently, when the blonde is in a good mood, he reverts to a five year old. On Naruto, it somehow works. He's just a stupid bundle of innocence, anyways.

"Hello, the chef said this is to be delivered to you," a pretty waitress greets the boys. She carefully sets the plates down in front of them, and Naruto thanks her warmly. Sasuke notes how her smile lifts a little as Naruto beams at her, and her laugh holds a slight lilt to it. Shy flirting at its simplest. Sasuke tells himself its nothing, and no reason to get annoyed over it. But it doesn't stop the familiar bitter warmth from welling up.

His irritation lessens when she finally walks away, but now he has Naruto's attention back on him. The blonde seems to have an endless supply of questions that he doesn't know how to keep bottled up.

"How do you know Elliot, anyways?" Naruto cuts into his food as he asks, mostly making light conversation than any real yearn to know. Sasuke answers idly while he surveys his own food.

"He was a friend of my father."

Naruto tilts his head to the side and cast Sasuke a curious glance. "Was? The guy seemed to be pretty comfortable with you, for someone who isn't around your dad anymore."

Sasuke mentally curses at himself. He didn't consider his wording or that Naruto would pick up on such a detail. The circumstances behind his parents absence is not what he wants as the topic of conversation. Now or ever.

"My brother is also close to him. Brings a lot of his clientele here."

At this, Naruto's eyes widen and practically sparkle. "What does your brother do? What's his name, even?" The pause in Naruto's movements and the absolute attention he's focusing on Sasuke lets him know he's not going to get out of answering this.

Sasuke sighs and refrains from running his palm over his eyes in exasperation. This isn't anything he wants to talk about either. But, given the options and that the blonde is just going to push no matter what, he'd rather talk about the brother than the parents.

"His name is Itachi. He owns a weapons and technology manufacturing company, with headquarters here in Seattle."

Naruto openly gapes at the raven. Sasuke can understand the shock; it's not a career path you hear a lot of people talk about. "How did he manage to do that?"

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders. "He's a genius. He started planning it when he was still a teenager, and went to university to get a degree that would make him capable of running a technologically advanced business. He made acquaintances and business partners with people high up that could get him places."

"How old is he?"

"Itachi is 27 years old. He's nine years older than me." Even Sasuke has to admit the success that has befallen Itachi in his short life is immense and hard to believe. The jealousy that often arises in the raven over the topic is enough to keep him from wanting to press forward with the conversation.

The blonde most notice a flicker of change in Sasuke's attitude, because a frown of concern quickly covers his face. "Do you guys get along well?"

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders. "It's not like we hate each other, but we don't speak daily." In fact, it's been about a month now since Sasuke has seen his brother. He came home for a bit on Christmas, before having to leave for work. The kinds of people Itachi gets involved with don't particularly care about the holidays.

"I only have Jiraiya, and he's gone a lot of the time. But we have a really good relationship."

The mentioning of Jiraiya sparks Sasuke's interest, and gives him a way to divert the topic. Naruto has mentioned him a few times, but never with much depth. He hasn't been able to gage what the blonde feels for him. "Are you close to your godfather?"

Naruto perks up. "We're really close! He's not around a whole lot, but he's done his best to raise me. I've been totally spoiled when it comes to having everything I want and need. Whenever I have a problem, he's there to help. Given I actually tell him about it." The blondes smile falters a bit on that, pressing Sasuke's interest on the subject. He can't imagine this smiling fool to have many problems, but he does recall Naruto mentioning a rough childhood.

"Elaborate on problems." If Sasuke can answer questions that he doesn't want any part of, Naruto can as well.

Naruto shrugs his shoulders and takes a bit of his food before responding. "It's not a fun story, you know? I had a lot of problems when I was younger."

"More than now?"

The blonde scoffs and nods his head. "The things I used to deal with make my current issues seem like a walk in the park." The blonde pauses for a moment. He glances from the table to the raven's face, before going downcast again. "How did you realize you had a preference for guys?"

The sudden topic change forces Sasuke's eyes to search for the blonde. The blush covering the blondes cheeks plus the obvious distress intrigue the raven. He's not sure how to even answer this question, or if he wants to. It's acknowledging that there is something more going on than them being classmates thrown together. It excites Sasuke to think he can push the blonde to feel the need to ask such things, and scares him that he's so engrossed. One thing Uchiha Sasuke will never do again is become involved in a romantic relationship. Physical is just fine, but no emotions need to be attached.

"I noticed when I was in middle school." Sasuke gages the blonde's reaction to this. Naruto seems like he can't decide if the topic should be left alone, or if he wants to keep pushing. Sasuke doesn't particularly know which he's hoping for either.

"That's when," Naruto says slowly – almost calmly. "But how?"

Sasuke sighs, casting his gaze off to the side. He's not going to get out of this. And truly, pushing Naruto aside right now is only going to make things harder. It's best to try to answer his questions with as much information as he's willing to give. "I never took an interest in girls, not that there were many guys that caught my attention either."

"Are you sure you're not just asexual?" Naruto grins and laughs at the eye roll Sasuke treats him to.

The blonde doesn't seem to expect an answer to that, and continues on his own. "When I was younger, girls were never a priority. Hell, none of my peers were. I was too busy pissing off adults for even existing, so I decided to give them a reason to dislike me. Massive problem child when I was young. It wasn't until I came to Kasai that I took an interest in girls."

Jealousy raises its ugly head in Sasuke's stomach once more. "Sakura, namely."

Naruto nods in agreement. "She was already extremely popular. On the cheerleading squad and student council. Had a fierce personality. She put me down the moment I tried to flirt with her. I decided immediately if I was gonna be interested in someone, it might as well be her. I don't know if that was me purposefully setting myself up for failure or what." Naruto sighs and he toys with his fork. Sasuke isn't sure where the confessional came from, but he's not about to interrupt the blonde. These are some things that he's been wondering about as well.

"Somewhere down the line, I convinced myself that I must be in love with her. I guess that was the natural solution in my mind. I never had an interest in anyone else, so I thought." Naruto chuckles and sends a quick smile up to Sasuke. "Well, Kiba says I've always been interested in you."

Ah, this again. The best friend informing him of how he feels. That was the excuse he gave him at the café when he said he was questioning his orientation. "What do you say?" Sasuke levels his gaze on Naruto, who blushes furiously but doesn't back down.

"I agree that I've always been aware of you; more so this last month."

They're both walking into dangerous territory if this is pressed, but Sasuke wants answers. "What about that is making you question your sexuality?"

Naruto's face could put a tomato to shame. "Just… You know. New thoughts." The blondes gaze drops down to his plate and stays there, even as he starts to talk again. "I'm really pretty much confused on the whole thing, okay?" You're the only guy I've ever looked at in this way, and I really don't know how to deal with it. I like being around you. For now, that's good enough for me. We can work out any other things later, right?" The blonde looks to Sasuke with hopeful eyes, as if pleading for some sort of reassurance and acceptance.

Sasuke doesn't know what to tell him to ease the situation. Doesn't know what he should tell him. How can he come up with an appropriate response when he hasn't decided how he feels about the subject yet? Having a sexual relationship with Naruto is not out of the question. If anything, Sasuke wants to push for it just to see where it will go. He's not a fool though, and he can already tell that lust and love are bound together for Naruto, while they are not for the Uchiha. This is only going to end with the blonde's first male crush going down in flames.

But the trust that shines in the blonde's eyes behind the fear of rejection draws Sasuke in, and he can't imagine turning the boy away. Possessiveness is a funny thing, in that it makes prideful people not want to lose what they have claimed as their own.

"I'm not going anywhere." The raven hopes that statement can convey all the things he's not going to outright say, and all the other things he's not going to promise.

* * *

Naruto thanks Elliot one last time for the opportunity before Sasuke all but pushes him out the door. It's good to be grateful, but Sasuke has other things to do today. Such as get Naruto home so he can complete the reason they even came here.

Feeling a soft vibration come from his jeans pocket, the raven lets out a slightly annoyed sigh before slipping a hand down to get his cell phone. He can already guess who it is that's bothering him.

 _Ino and I want to hold a council meeting on Tuesday. You down?_

Sasuke glares at the message like the girl might actually be able to see the annoyance she causes him. If he had known Sakura was going to be such a nuisance this year, he would have resigned from his position on the student council. It's nowhere near worth the hassle. He jots out a quick approval to her, already dreading the day.

"Do you think we can come back here some time and do a bit of exploring?" Sasuke glances up from his phone to see Naruto staring admiringly at the shops lining the streets. He got the feeling before that Naruto had never been to Seattle prior to this. He feels validated in that belief now. The raven takes another look at his phone for the time, debating whether or not to take the blonde somewhere.

On one hand, they really do need to get back. Naruto is on a considerable time limit to complete this application. Any time wasted playing in Seattle could be the breaking point for him getting accepted.

However, the blonde looks so… Entranced. Sasuke has been visiting this city for about four years now due to his brother, making it lack any appeal. The blonde seems to have found a wonderland, though.

Sasuke sighs and rolls his eyes at himself. When did he get so soft? Anyone else, he would tell to get over it and stop being a hassle. On that note though, Sasuke wouldn't be doing this much for anyone else. This is purely a Naruto occasion.

"What are your interests?"

Naruto pries his eyes away from the street shops and tilts his head, a look of confusion playing on his face. "Huh?"

Sasuke narrows his eyes at the simple-minded idiot. "What do you like to do in your free time?"

Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "I like sports, games, hanging out. You already know I like cooking. Gardening; I'm actually really into crafty stuff, if I can find the patience for it."

"Gardening?" Sasuke's mind pinpoints on one fairly close attraction they could see. "Would you like to visit Chihuly Garden and Glass? It's within walking distance."

Naruto's eyes light with pure joy, and Sasuke takes that as a yes before the words even leave the blonde's mouth. "Can we really go?" Naruto lightly bounces in place, too much excitement to be contained.

"Yeah, dobe." Sasuke resists rolling his eyes at the whoop of pleasure Naruto lets out. No one should be this easily excitable. "It's about an eight minute walk from here." Sasuke doesn't wait to see if Naruto will follow and starts the trek.

"What exactly is this place we're going to?" Naruto bounds in step with Sasuke, though his attention is darting all over the place.

"You agreed to go without knowing?"

"Well, sure," Naruto says this as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Anywhere is fine, you know? And if you're willing to go, then so am I."

Sasuke slants his eyes over to take in the profile of his lively companion. Does he even realize the sort of things he implies when he talks like that? Sasuke sincerely hopes he doesn't, because it would make things difficult. He doesn't need or want a legitimately flirtatious blonde on his hands. He can barely handle himself around the oblivious version. If Naruto gave him a direct invitation…

No. The raven refuses to even let himself go there. He's already lost to his traitorous teenage lustful side too many times this last month, and Naruto just asked if they could keep things to a friend's-only level.

"Chihuly's is at the base of the Space Needle. It's –" Sasuke is cut off from his explanation from an excited gasp from Naruto.

"What's a space needle?! Can we check that out too?" As Sasuke looks at the hope and pleading on the blondes face, he decides – effective immediately – he has to build a resistance to those puppy dog eyes. The number of times he has given in to this little blonde idiot is a massive hit to his pride. His ancestors would be ashamed.

"Look up, dobe." At his command, Naruto's eyes trail skyward and then widen. The blonde had been too focused on learning the names of all the shops they've passed that he didn't even think to look higher than the signs. Sasuke holds back a scoff as he hears Naruto exclaim over the huge structure.

"We might as well go to both, I suppose." He's not giving in, he assures himself. It's just common sense to buy a combination ticket upfront, rather than let the blonde run off later and talk his way into one.

"You were explaining the glass place, right? Go back to that!" Sasuke scoffs; he's truly taken a five year old out on a play date.

"It's an art exhibition. They have 8 galleries, the Glasshouse, and the garden."

"Have you been there before?" Sasuke rolls his eyes. Unlike some people, he makes a point to visit the local museums and points of interest.

"I came with my brother years ago." After things were already bad, of course. Sasuke can't particularly remember the trip. He knows he was thirteen at the time, and too busy shunning the existence of everything to care about a glass museum.

"I don't do things like this, unless it's a school trip. Even if Jiraiya was around more, this is so not his idea of bonding." Naruto laughs with ease, but Sasuke's stomach clenches up. Bonding? Is that what this is considered? He highly doubts Itachi had any ideas of "bonding" when he brought him here. The only reason he took him was out of guilt for not being around more.

Just like the only reason he's going with Naruto is out of pity for apparently having no culture. It has nothing to do with bonding. Nothing at all.

The raven stops in front of the walkway leading to the gallery, causing the energetic blonde to bump into his side.

"Is this it?" At Sasuke's nod of confirmation, the blondes face lights up again. Sasuke finds himself being pulled alongside Naruto with no time to think about the sudden clasp of their hands. Fighting down the annoyance, Sasuke accepts that this way, he'll be able to keep a leash on Naruto from making too much of a fool of himself. He can just imagine something getting broken due to the overzealous nature of the Uzumaki.

"Calm down," Sasuke sighs and pulls back on Naruto's hand, forcing him to jerk back. "We have to pay admission, and then you can go explore." Sasuke leads them to the vacant admissions counter. Thankfully, it seems like they've come at a quiet time. Not very many people want to be out in early February weather.

"Hello," the receptionist kindly greets Sasuke. "What can I do for you?"

"Two tickets for the exhibit and the Space Needle." Sasuke pulls out his wallet while she figures up the total, already knowing about how much it will cost.

"How much does my part cost, teme?" Sasuke watches as Naruto fishes around his pocket, searching for a phantom wallet. He rolls his eyes; he dragged the blonde out of the house in a bit of a rush, but he's still a dobe for forgetting important items. Besides, he never intended for the blonde to pay for anything today. It was his idea, after all.

"Don't worry about it, dobe. My treat." He pays the receptionist and takes the tickets, motioning for the blonde to follow him to the first gallery. He doesn't have to worry about Naruto making a fuss over the tickets, as he's immediately spellbound by the sculptures.

"Holy shit," the blonde whispers. "This is so amazing! I didn't know glass could even do this!" Sasuke has to agree; it is attractive and unique. He recalls the boats with the glass sculptures inside of them to be his favorite gallery, though it's a dim memory.

Not that he has to worry about any of that now. As Naruto excitedly pulls him from one gallery to the next, begging him to take pictures with his phone since he forgot his, remarking over every piece and drawing Sasuke's attention to the parts he finds most fascinating, the raven has no choice but to take everything in. Looking at him, you would never pin Naruto to be an art enthusiast, but Sasuke is slowly having it proven to him that looks can be deceiving.

After being dragged around to all the galleries and wall displays for over half an hour, Naruto manages to find the gift shop, which he "just has to check out". Begrudgingly, Sasuke follows him into the room, casually glancing at the walls of merchandise.

"Ah, Sasuke, look at this!" Naruto is standing over a display of garden planters, studiously reading what each one contains. Sasuke raises an eyebrow but doesn't question it. He mentioned he has an interest in gardening. Does he collect plants or grow anything at home? Sasuke wants to ask, but thinks better of it. Best to not show too much of an interest.

"These are really cool," Naruto points to packets of seeds; each one containing a different assortment. "I think the herb one would be really nice." Without giving it much more thought, the blonde walks over to the wall of apparel, rifling through the different shirts.

Sasuke's attention falls back onto the herb packet. Is this the sort of thing Naruto cultivates at home, if at all? Saying it would be nice doesn't really mean he wants it… Sasuke huffs in annoyance at himself. There's no reason he should feel compelled to buy it for Naruto. But when he starts to walk away from the display, he reaches out and grabs the packet, anyways.

He might as well have something to remember the trip by, other than pictures. That's all it is. The idiot left the house without grabbing his wallet and can't get anything for himself. Sasuke's not completely heartless; he understands wanting souvenirs.

His eyes glide over to make sure Naruto isn't paying attention before he takes the packet up to the register. Luckily, the cashier isn't a talkative one and rings the gift up without a word other than the price. When offered a bag, Sasuke declines with a shake of his head and pockets the small present, along with the receipt.

Like a child let loose in a store, Naruto is still marveling over every little thing when Sasuke returns to his side. "Ready to go?" The pout that's thrown his way at the inquiry has him rolling his eyes, before tugging on the blonde's hand. "We still have to see the garden, and tour the Space Needle. That'll take an hour on its own."

Naruto gasps and becomes much more pliant, practically melting into Sasuke's side. "I forgot about that! So excited!" Reflexively, Naruto squeezes the hand Sasuke wrapped around his to drag him away. For a moment, Sasuke considers pushing Naruto away and out of his personal space. The blonde definitely doesn't know what boundaries are. He's been fine all day no matter how close to Sasuke he gets and it irks the raven. How can anyone be so comfortable around people? Not natural.

Just when the raven decides to regain his space, Naruto pushes open the door leading out into the garden. The biting February breeze catches both of them off guard, and Naruto falls back next to Sasuke's side. For the first time that day, Sasuke is content to let Naruto stay huddled up next to him. The heat that rolls off of Naruto is like a human furnace. For now, Sasuke supposes, he'll ignore the intrusion.

"It's even prettier out here," Naruto huffs out lowly. "They did an amazing job at blending the art with the landscape." Sasuke lets Naruto lead them around the displays, being tugged impulsively from one area to the other. He listens to all the exclamations of the blonde, and notes which displays really catch his attention.

When they get to the Glasshouse, Sasuke is pleased and irritated when Naruto lets go of his hand. He has his own space again, but it's a freezing cold space.

"Sasuke, take pics of this, please." The raven glares at the demanding blonde, having absolutely no interest in taking his hands out of his pockets for a prolonged period.

He scoffs lightly and pulls out his phone, unlocking it and handing it over to a startled blonde. "Take them yourself." Naruto tentatively takes the phone, but when he realizes Sasuke isn't going to rip it back from him, he happily starts taking photos.

With the blonde preoccupied, Sasuke wonders around the Glasshouse, before stepping back out into the garden. The massive sphere of spirals seems oddly ominous; Sasuke can't decide if it's because it reminds him of an explosion, or if it's just the winter chill getting to him. How can something so colorful strike such a cord? The raven idly thinks how similar that sculpture is to Naruto's personality; colorful, huge, and explosive. Entirely too magnetic, the blonde manages to attract everyone around him. It seems not even the Uchiha was able to resist being drawn into the energy he gives off.

Shifting his gaze to watch the bundle of energy himself, Sasuke wonders if that's really such a bad thing. He can handle one spot of light in his dark world.

* * *

The droning voice of the tour guide is completely lost on Sasuke, as he takes in the blonde facing him. Something is definitely wrong with Naruto, though Sasuke can't think of many options. There is one thing…

"You're afraid of heights, aren't you?" The trembling blonde rapidly shakes his head back and forth at the whispered question from Sasuke.

"Course not, teme." Well, that's not exactly persuading Sasuke to believe him. Naruto was his typical lively self when they stepped into the elevator, but quickly lost his composure when it started to move.

"If you have a problem with heights, why did you want to do this? It's only to going to get worse." Worse, indeed. With each rise of the elevator, Naruto's face grows a shade paler.

"It's not heights," Naruto sways slightly, closing his eyes and reaching out for something solid to grasp. "It's elevators. I hate these things."

A fear of elevators. Sasuke rolls his eyes. Of course the blonde would have a senseless fear like that. "Dobe, the chances of this elevator crashing are slim to none."

Naruto's brings in a sharp intake of breath, opening his eyes just enough to glare at the raven. "Shut up, teme. Not necessary."

Sasuke rolls his eyes but refrains from making any more remarks. Having the blonde vomit on him due to nerves isn't anything he wants to experience. Fortunately for the blonde, the elevator ride is less than a minute. Then they'll be safely on the observation deck.

True to his word, Naruto perks up the moment they step off the lift. Once again, Sasuke is allowing himself to be dragged around. He's not particularly opposed to it, at the moment. It's just going on five pm, and the sun has begun to set. The skyline has been set into tones of gold, red, and purple. From up here, the city seems like it's empty of human life; just sky-reaching buildings glinting in the waning sun.

After about thirty minutes of walking the deck, they've made a complete rotation of the observatory. As far as Sasuke is concerned, they have completed their trip. He voices this opinion to Naruto, who sighs and pouts, but doesn't argue.

"I guess I do still need to work on my essay…" The blonde bites his lip and suddenly looks worried. "What if I still can't – "

"Dobe," Sasuke bites out warningly, "if you say anything about not being able to do it, I'm throwing you off this building."

Naruto chuckles at the threat and flashes a cheeky smile. "Whatever, teme. You'd miss me."

Sasuke ignores that. He's quite certain he would not miss the bombardment of orange in his life.

The trip back down and the walk to the car is quiet; a feat Sasuke wasn't aware Naruto was capable of. It seems the idiot has lost some of his enthusiasm; most likely due to exhaustion. He doubts Naruto got much sleep last night, and then running around since eight am must have taken its toll on him.

So when the blonde falls asleep in the car on the drive back home, Sasuke leaves him be. It's mutually beneficial anyways. He doesn't have to listen to Naruto's ramblings or the radio.

Shutting the car off when he parks in his garage jolts the blonde awake. Frantically, Naruto looks around for a few moments before settling his gaze on Sasuke. Seemingly not a morning person, Naruto groans and stretches in the compact expanse of the Camaro.

"How long we been back," he asks through a yawn. Sasuke rolls his eyes while pushing open his door.

"Just got here, dobe." The raven steps out of the car and leans down to look at Naruto. "Come on. You start your essay again and I'll order something to eat." Naruto complies with the request, following Sasuke up to his room where he immediately goes to the desk. His papers and already finished essays are splayed out from last night.

Sasuke leaves the room once he sees Naruto is settled, dialing the number for the closest Chinese takeout. A twenty minute shower later, Sasuke hears the doorbell go off. Perfect timing, as he'd just finished pulling a shirt over his head.

Not spending any more time than necessary paying for the food and getting back to his room, Sasuke sets a couple containers of food on the desk next to Naruto. He proceeds to take a seat on the couch at the foot of his bed with his own portion. Not realizing how hungry he was after not eating all afternoon, even the takeout smells good to him. Casual eating like this is a rare occurrence for the raven. He was raised on proper meals, and it was something even Itachi enforced. Sasuke could easily follow a vegan diet, if not for his need of protein and dislike of lentils.

Sasuke's one vice has always been a deep appreciation for coffee – lattes, in fact. And this project of theirs has only deepened that habit. He's not going to stop holding the meetings at Java's for a good time to come, given all the free coffee he gets out of it.

Speaking of projects, what with being concerned about Naruto's university problems this weekend, he's neglected his own studies. Leading to several incomplete assignments. Given, they're not due till next week. But Sasuke doesn't have the second-highest rank in the entire school by procrastinating. At this rate, he's going to slip down to the blonde's level.

That thought in mind, Sasuke all but attacks his homework. It will be completed by the end of the night, if he has to stay up to accomplish it.

About two hours into their mutual study session, Naruto pushes up from the desk, stretching and letting out a low moan of contentment. Throwing the notebook on the bed, the blonde promptly follows. Sasukes watches with no lack of curiosity as Naruto lounges out and makes himself comfortable.

Its things like this that invites Sasuke to take advantage of the situation. He could easily come up behind the blonde, drape himself over that lithe back, and trap him against Sasuke's body. Naruto is slim enough as it, and Sasuke has quite a broader form. He would be going anywhere. Even if he did try to move, he would have to either arch up into Sasuke to buck him off, or roll over.

That last option is what Sasuke wishes would happen. He could advance the situation greatly if that was the case. The blonde is already confused on what he wants; pushing the situation in his favor wouldn't harm anything.

When Sasuke notices his hand idly reaching out to touch Naruto's leg, he jerks back in shock. Since when does he act impulsively? More than that, since when does he fantasize about wanting someone? This is not how he operates.

Sasuke sends an unseen glare at the back of Naruto's head before picking himself up. The stupid blonde just acts too relaxed around him and it makes him have abnormal thoughts. Shaking his head, he decides to do something – anything – to get out of the room. He makes a quick stop in the bathroom to grab his clothes from earlier and get them washed. Heading for the stairs, he hears Naruto call to him.

"You going somewhere?" Sasuke looks back to see Naruto inquisitively watching him. With those blue eyes fully trained on him, Sasuke feels a sudden surge of guilt for his earlier thoughts. The reason Naruto trusts him and thinks he can be this comfortable around the raven, is because he gave him his approval earlier today. Sasuke agreed that they could go slow with Naruto's thoughts and feelings. It's not a matter of the blonde trying to tempt him; the dobe is just too blatantly sexual without trying.

Or maybe Sasuke is just thinking about all the things he could do to the blonde too much.

"Focus on your essay." Skulking off, Sasuke slinks downstairs and away from the object of his desire. The more distance, the better. He glances at the grandfather clock in the foyer on his way to the laundry room. Already ten at night. If the dobe doesn't hurry up with that essay, he's going to be heading home pretty late tonight.

Sasuke sighs but doesn't worry about it. Naruto decided two days ago that this is something he wants to do. It's not all going to come together over one weekend, no matter how hard he works at it.

Pondering over what else they can do to quickly get things submitted, Sasuke feels something crinkle in the pocket of the jeans he's about to throw in the washer. Pulling the contents out, he finds the forgotten seed packet. Staring at the small gift, he wonders what he was even thinking. How is he supposed to give this to Naruto without him thinking more of it than necessary? It's obvious Naruto is the type of person who doesn't like people to buy him stuff; Sasuke can't argue. He loathes being in anyone's debt. But this was meant to be a present, with no return or anything given back. He can't exactly tell Naruto that without it seeming like a much more involved action than it really is.

It's a little too late for that worry though, he tells himself. It's already been bought. The raven has absolutely no interest in growing anything, so he's not keeping it. It cost quite a bit for him to just throw it out, as well. Sasuke lets out a heavy sigh and pinches the bridge of his nose, willing himself to calm down.

As if fate wants to play a hand in this matter, as he turns around to leave the laundry room, his eyes are drawn to an unused shelf in the corner. Years earlier, Itachi had set several of their parents items on it while he was deciding what to do with everything. Most of it has stayed in the original spot.

Sitting at the top in two stacks is six garden pots his mother had once bought. If Sasuke recalls correctly, she had the same concept in mind; start a home garden. Sasuke runs his fingers along the white ceramic. Simple and colorful designs print each one, no two being the same model. His mother has wanted to add a "pop of variety" to their front porch. Not have everything so serious and gloomy. Sasuke hasn't touched these garden pots in years, let alone think about the memories they invoke. There's no point in going through the past. All he can do is focus on his future.

But now, he feels compelled. As if some invisible force is asking him to take this step. To touch this fragment of the past, and move it forward. As much as Sasuke hates the thought of moving anything on that shelf, he sees no reason why he can't do this.

And so he grabs the two stacks, drops the seed packet in one, and goes into the kitchen with them. While the colors haven't faded away, they are incredibly dusty. Sasuke sets about to washing them off, making sure to handle them carefully and not cause any discoloration with harsh cleaners.

When he finishes, he truly feels lost. He's now made his gift even bigger. Before it was just a simple packet of seeds. How is he going to give that blonde idiot all this as well?

Then it dawns on him. He _is_ dealing with a blonde idiot. The dobe probably doesn't even think to lock his jeep up. To verify this thought, Sasuke makes his way out to the parking lot, where he easily pulls open the back door to Naruto's orange monster. Sighing in slight frustration, he returns to the house. After he gets this done and the dobe finds them, he's going to have to berate him on the dangers of leaving a nice vehicle unlocked in an upscale neighborhood. These locations are always targeted by thieves.

Accomplishing his breaking and entering goal, Sasuke heads back upstairs. Naruto better be done with that essay at this point, he idly thinks as he pushes open the door to his room. He stops moving the moment he takes a look at his bed.

At some point in time, Naruto's exhaustion must have caught up to him fully, because the dobe is clutching a pillow to his head and chest, and has himself slightly curled up. He's the picture of serenity and Sasuke is torn on what action to take.

Part of him knows he needs to wake him up and get him to go home, but the other part is quite happy to keep him in his bed all night. Sasuke owns a queen sized bed; it's not as if there's not enough room.

What are you thinking, he reprimands himself. Putting him in the guest room wasn't far enough away last night. Knowing the blondes proximity was enough to keep him up for an extra hour. To allow him to stay in his bed all night will certainly lead to disaster.

But if Sasuke wakes the blonde up and sends him home, he might be too groggy to function entirely. If he ended up getting in a wreck, even Sasuke would feel responsible. He can't imagine Naruto willingly spending the night in the guest room if he was to be woken up. He'd probably insist on going home.

With that thought in mind, Sasuke shuts off the light and silently pads over to his bed. It'll be a test of his self-control, and he has plenty of it.

* * *

 **Authors Note :** I wrote this chapter in our favorite ravens p.o.v, and it turned out a bit differently than I thought it would. I basically let Sasuke's personality take over the style and movement, and while Sasuke is more accepting of a relationship with Naruto than Naruto is towards Sasuke, he doesn't really acknowledge that he has any romantic feelings. He's honestly quite back and forth a bit, on how much he's willing to admit. So, I think Sasuke is gonna need a little pep talk from Kiba, too, with the way his internal monologues are playing out.


	7. Attraction

**Authors Note :** Part II is going to end up pretty long if I keep writing by the day, instead of the week! We have a bit of progression in this chapter; not as much as I expected. But I am splitting the chapter in half, rather than doing both parts (both assignments) in just this one. We'll corner Naruto at Sasuke's house next chapter...

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 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse. **  
**

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

* * *

 **Chapter 7 : Attraction**

* * *

Naruto stretches languorously, barely coming out of his dream induced haze. He feels more relaxed than he has in ages. And he can't remember his bed ever being this warm and comfortable.

On that note, these blankets are also way fluffier than they usually are, too. Naruto rolls onto his side and cuddles into them further, sinking more into the warmth pressed against his stomach. Gradually, he begins to drift back off into dreamland.

That is, until the warmth he's cuddled into shifts. Nothing in his bed moves on its own… Disconcerted, Naruto's eyes widen immediately, all traces of sleep disappearing. Oh god, if there's a ghost in his bed, he'll just die. Of all his fears, this is the most terrifying. He doesn't need a phantom intruder!

The blonde scrambles out of the bed, limbs flailing and getting caught in the sheets in his haste. He nearly trips and lands face first into the floor before catching himself. Righting himself again, he turns back to see if there is anything in his bed.

But what greets his sight is even worse than the horrors of ghost. A perfectly awake Sasuke is watching Naruto with something akin to amusement. There is absolutely nothing amusing about this situation, Naruto thinks hotly. This is distressing! Why is he in Sasuke's bed, with Sasuke? Why and how did he even manage to stay the night? Damn the Uzumaki sleep patterns that make him dead to the world when he passes out.

"You can sleep for another hour." Sleep? Is Sasuke crazy? Between trying to comprehend what is going on and staring at Sasuke like he grew three heads, the poor blonde is having a hell of a morning.

"I'm really lost," Naruto finally mutters out, running a hand through his hair. "Why did I stay the night?"

"Fell asleep." The nonchalance in the raven's demeanor is causing Naruto serious heart problems. Didn't it bother him to sleep in the same bed as the blonde? Wasn't he annoyed that Naruto fell asleep there? Didn't he realize the problems that could have… Arose during the morning?

Naruto sighs but doesn't voice any of those concerns. "Obviously, teme. Why didn't you wake me up?"

Sasuke levels a glare at him. "Would that have done anything?"

Well, no, Naruto admits mentally. When he goes to sleep, he's asleep. Nothing short of a bomb going off is going to get him awake when he's truly exhausted. Not that he'll say that aloud.

He rubs the back of his neck bashfully, hoping to god he isn't blushing. "Sorry I put you out like that. Next time, just kick me out."

Sasuke scoffs and mutters a subtle "dobe," before sitting up and pushing the covers back. Upon seeing Sasuke fully, it suddenly dawns on Naruto that the warmth he was so happily cuddled into earlier must have been the raven in front of him. He feels the heat rise to his face and wishes the earth would swallow him whole. He's lucky Sasuke didn't hit him for that, the blonde thinks frantically.

He's just got to get out of here. Any longer around Sasuke and he's going to lose his mind. His thoughts have been a bit haywire since lunch yesterday. Waking up in bed with the object of his affection is a bit too much.

"I'm gonna head home and get ready for school," Naruto mumbles out quickly as he parades over to the desk and starts collecting his stuff.

"Leave it. We still need to go over essays." Sasuke glances towards his closet and then back to Naruto. "I have a uniform from last year you can borrow, if you want to get ready here."

Naruto's eyes widen in surprise. The raven is really offering something like that? "Really, teme? You'll share your stuff with me?" A cheeky smile forms on Naruto's face at the scowl that graces Sasuke's.

The raven walks over to his closet and rummages around through the hangers of clothes, before pulling out a complete set of their school uniform. "Just take it and go shower, dobe."

One of the unique things about Kasai Private School is the uniforms. While they are required to wear them, there are different versions. Male attire includes beige or charcoal gray pants, white collared shirts or sweaters, and a navy blue jacket. There are several different styles to the jacket; it could be the traditional kind, a sweater vest, or a pullover sweater with the school arms on it. The school encourages students to buy a multitude of options, but Naruto sticks to the traditional outfit of beige pants and the jacket. It looks best on him.

But the outfit Sasuke has given to him is a pair of charcoal pants and a pullover sweater. It's also about a size too big, as Naruto is one of the smallest boys in his class. If you didn't know him, you'd think he's malnourished. Until you watch him eat, that is.

The pants are a bit too long as well, but not to the point he can't wear them. They'll just bag a bit around his legs when he puts shoes on. The blonde does come a bit prepared on that front, keeping a pair of black school shoes in the back of his jeep. He's also thankful that he never took his schoolbag inside on Friday, having left in the jeep all weekend.

Unfortunately, that also means he didn't do any of his homework. "Hey, Sasuke, I've got to be heading out." Naruto steps back into the raven's bedroom slightly panicked. He's got to arrive early and spend all of homeroom getting his physics and history homework filled out. Doing the Japanese assignment could wait till lunch.

Sasuke looks at him with a raised eyebrow, but doesn't make any comment. Naruto follows him downstairs and to the garage entrance. It's nice of the guy to walk him out and all, Naruto thinks, but he really doesn't have to. Naruto is sure he's just being a nuisance at this point.

"I'll drive you, just finish getting ready." Sasuke makes a pointed glare at Naruto's feet, sans shoes.

"Eh?" Naruto tilts his head in confusion. "But my jeeps here, it's not a problem for –"

"You need to come back here after school anyways, and we need to do an assignment today. You are free, I assume." Sasuke arches one of those perfect eyebrows at Naruto, and the blonde loses all traces of what his argument was going to be.

"Yeah, okay. Just let me grab my shoes and bag." Shuffling away from the raven quickly, Naruto is happy to step into the morning air – and away from Sasuke. His mind gets all cloudy when the raven is involved these days, making it difficult to formulate decisions.

It's not until the boys are halfway to the school that Naruto realizes the implications of the current situation. He's arriving in Sasuke's car, with Sasuke, on a Monday, and in a totally different style of uniform than he usually wears. He has no homework done and coming about thirty minutes early. The whole thing screams suspicion.

"Maybe we should go in at separate times?" Naruto says more to himself than to Sasuke, but the harsh bite to Sasuke's response jolt him into looking at the raven.

"Do you not want to be seen with me?" Sasuke has his usual impassive expression glued to his face, but his eyes are hard and refusing to look over at Naruto.

"I didn't mean it like that, teme. I just don't want people to talk. Can you imagine the rumors?" Naruto can, and he's not too thrilled with them. People would think up all sorts of things to say about him and Sasuke, and he doesn't want to push Sasuke away by involving him in things like that. Not to mention, he doesn't exactly want to socially outcast himself as well. He's been through that once, thank you, and he'd like to not go back.

He decided yesterday that for the time being, he wants to just see Sasuke as a friend – albeit, one that he has more than innocent thoughts towards. Primarily because he doesn't want to put up with all the shit that he'll have to take by being in a relationship with a guy. And not just any guy, but Uchiha Sasuke. The raven has a fan-base of overzealous girls that would just love to slash Naruto's tires for even thinking about being with their idol.

"You'll learn, dobe," Sasuke says as he puts his car in park and shuts it off, "not to care what people think." Without giving the blonde a second glance, he pushes open his car door and steps out into the crisp February breeze. Leaving Naruto to go in alone, just as he'd asked. So why does he feel so miserable?

* * *

Almost as if they'd gone back in time, Sasuke has taken up his original seat at the front of the class during homeroom. When Naruto first walked in and saw him there, the confusion must have been etched into his face, not that the raven seemed to care. Sasuke barely gave him any acknowledgment before turning back to the paper in front of him.

If he had more time, Naruto would have argued the situation. He'd go into a long rant about why Sasuke is just being a touchy brat, and Naruto didn't mean anything rude towards him. He might mention how it hurts that the raven doesn't want to sit with him, just to add to the guilt.

He would do all that, if not for the assignments he has to complete. Perhaps having Sasuke away from him this morning will turn out to be a blessing. If he was sitting back here, Naruto would be inclined to speak to him. Thus getting nothing done.

Not that he's accomplishing much with all the daggers he's glaring into the back of the ravens head. He's spending more time looking at that damn jerk than he is doing homework. A fact Kiba unapologetically points out five minutes into the start of homeroom. Thankfully, everyone holds conversations during these lazy twenty minutes, as Kakashi couldn't care less what his students do, as long as he can read that smut Jiraiya writes in peace. Kiba's voice – but more importantly, their conversation – cannot be heard over the buzz of chatter.

"What happened? You're supposed to be warming up to the guy, not backtracking."

Naruto scowls at his overly-invested friend. "I think I pissed him off. Everything was fine this weekend."

Shocked, Kiba swivels his head towards Naruto quick enough to cause whiplash. "You hung out this weekend?" Kiba gives him a quick once over, seeming to take in the blonde for the first time this morning. "Are you wearing a different uniform then usual?"

What to tell him, the blonde wonders. No point in lying to this guy. "Yeah," Naruto nods then sighs. "I found out some rough news Friday night," Naruto's voice trails off as he starts to recall the talk he had with Jiraiya. He's managed to push it down all weekend, thanks to his dark haired distraction. "Anyways, Sasuke agreed to help me fill out college applications. I accidentally stayed over last night. He leant me the uniform."

At the absolutely astounded look on the mutts face, Naruto holds his hands up before he can launch into any difficult discussions. "Not now, okay?" The blonde roughly pulls a hand through his hair. "I'll make you a deal. You let me copy your answers for physics and Japanese, and I'll take you out to lunch today and explain everything that's happened."

"Deal," Kiba says with no hesitation, already pulling out his completed paper.

Naruto sighs happily upon seeing that glorious piece of paper. Now if he can just get it copied in ten minutes.

The morning flew by, and before Naruto knew it, he was being whisked off to the nearby mall food court that contained Kiba's favorite Italian bistro.

"Man, you could have got some action this weekend," Kiba smarts off between bites. "Only you would spend two nights with your crush and not pull any moves. Not that you've got any." Kiba laughs at the low growl Naruto shoots him.

"So, let me get this straight. Jiraiya dropped a bomb, Sasuke picked up the pieces, you spent the night, he took you on a date, and then you spent the night again. If things are going this well, then why aren't you speaking to him now?"

"First of all," Naruto starts bitingly, "it wasn't a date."

"Like hell! The cold as ice, Uchiha stoic went to an exhibit and garden with you. Only thing that could have made it better would be if you started making out on the observation tower." Kiba waggles his eyebrows. "You didn't, did you?"

Naruto scoffs, blushing furiously at his friend's lack of boundaries. "Of course not! We're just gonna be friends, you know."

"Naruto," Kiba says sternly, "you cannot just be friends with him. You're not going to settle like that, just because you're afraid." Kiba waves a breadstick at the blonde. "Just tell him that you're definitely into him, and want a relationship."

Naruto groans and closes his eyes, willing himself to stay calm. "I can't do that for so many reasons. And does Sasuke even seem like the relationship type to you?"

"Push him! Somebody not wanting a relationship has never stopped you before. You can't give up now."

"I'm not giving up; I'm just not starting in the first place."

"Which is even worse," Kiba says ruthlessly. "You're too afraid of striking out that you're not even gonna try playing the game."

"That's a low blow, Kiba." Is it really such a problem if the blonde decides to play it safe and keep his heart intact and functioning, instead of handing it over to someone who probably doesn't even want it?

"Naruto," Kiba says with a finality that makes the blonde stop and pay attention, "if you don't go for this, you're gonna regret it someday. That's all I'll say on it today." Because you're too busy stuffing your face, Naruto thinks irately. He's had more than enough talks about his love life to last him his whole lifetime. So what if he's copping out? Who cares if he and Sasuke never actually get together?

But at the sudden ache that thought brings on, Naruto knows that he would care. As much as he doesn't want to admit it, he immensely enjoys being around Sasuke. The casual banter, the good-natured – and sometimes not so good-natured- arguments. And recently, he can include the hanging out. Everything about their relationship with each other is a level of comfort that Naruto has never received from anyone else, let alone someone he has an interest in.

So where does that leave them? Kiba obviously thinks in a relationship, but Naruto knows better than that. Uchiha Sasuke has had girls, and probably guys, throwing themselves at him and begging to date since Naruto met him four years ago. No doubt he was dealing with that at whatever middle school he went to as well. Naruto is not vain enough to believe he'll be the sudden break in Sasuke's celibacy.

Of course, just because Sasuke doesn't date, doesn't mean he doesn't sleep around… Naruto groans and leans back in his chair. This is not what he needs to be thinking about. Imagining Sasuke with other people in that way simultaneously infuriates him and pains him.

Kiba raises an eyebrow and nods at the blonde, "what's your problem?"

"Don't worry about it, man. Let's be heading back." Kiba shrugs his shoulders but doesn't argue, picking up his trash and following Naruto out.

"What are your plans after school? We need to start practicing regularly. I had a couple of guys who are interested in playing ask if we do any sort of training before tryouts." Kiba yawns and stretches his arms up. "Just thinking about getting back into makes me tired. Off season training isn't nearly as intensive as the real thing."

Naruto scoffs, a grin playing on his lips. He's one of the lucky few who's always energetic, and has no problem getting right back into the swing of things. "I can't do it today. I gotta go back to Sasuke's after school. But how about we start doing an hour after school all week? It'll get us back in the habit of the two hours we'll have to give once season actually starts."

"That works. I'll let the boys know. You already have people in mind from last year that we're definitely keeping?"

"Yeah," Naruto replies casually, and starts listing off the people they're keeping this year. And just like that, all the unpleasant thoughts about being in a relationship with Sasuke melt away, and Naruto returns to his typical teenage life.

* * *

Naruto's last two classes fly by, and once they do, he's promptly reminded again about all those thoughts he was able to divert earlier. Reminded by the glowering Uchiha leaning against his locker.

"Hey, I kinda need to get in there," Naruto shuffles from one foot to the other, doing his best to not appear nervous. His eyes keep trailing down Sasuke's body to the floor, where he realizes that he just checked the raven out several times without any hint of hiding it. His gaze then darts back up to Sasuke's face, not even registering the smirk there, before going to the floor again. "We got things to do today, teme. Move."

Naruto watches as Sasuke's legs languorously move forward a few steps, stopping just in front of the blonde. Confused, Naruto tilts his head up to ask Sasuke what he thinks he's doing, when the blonde fully takes in how close they are. Just by lifting his face, he's immediately greeted by Sasuke's dark – and dare he say smoldering – eyes. But more than that, if he just leaned forward a bit, he could find out what those lips taste like.

Blushing a furious red, Naruto drops his face again. "You're still in my way, you know."

"Dobe," Sasuke breathes out calmly, drawing Naruto's gaze upwards again. How can he possibly have such a level voice in this situation, Naruto fumes. He's doing this with the full intent of getting under the blondes skin.

Something must have flashed across Naruto's face, because Sasuke's smirk falters and in its place comes an expression Naruto doesn't know how to place. It almost seems as if Sasuke is making some decision in his head, the blonde reasons out. Like he's debating –

But Naruto doesn't get any more time to think it over, because his lips are caught against something warm. When he realizes that Sasuke took advantage of the situation and closed the gap between them, his mind short circuits. Closing his eyes and resisting the small moan that's caught in the back of his throat, Naruto carelessly moves his lips against Sasuke's. The heady feeling clouding his mind threatens his balance, and he rests his hand against the raven's waist to steady himself, aiding him in pushing closer and deepening the kiss.

He barely registers the press of Sasuke's palm against the back of his neck, or the way his own hand grips Sasuke's hip in a vice. All he can think, feel, and understand is that Sasuke – Uchiha Sasuke – initiated a kiss between them. One that they are both enjoying, if the relaxed movements of their lips are any indication.

But when Sasuke gently swipes his tongue along Naruto's bottom lip, the spell is broken. Startled, Naruto's eyes fly open and he jerks back shakily, putting much needed distance between them. Naruto searches Sasuke's impassive face for any hint or help as to what just transpired, and when he receives none, he sighs harshly.

"Sasuke," Naruto is scared of his own breathless voice and what it might imply to the raven. "Somebody is gonna see us."

Sasuke scowls and glares at the blonde, unmoving from his original position. "That again?"

Naruto sighs softer this time and runs a hand over his face and through his hair. "If a teacher walked by, we'd for sure get detention for PDA. Let's just…" Naruto's voice trails off. Let's just what, he asks himself? How does he really want to finish that? Just forget? Just move on and pretend it didn't happen?

No, the blonde answers mentally. He won't be forgetting that for a good long while. His lips are still tingling from the touch.

"Let's go to Java's and talk about things. We still have an assignment to do, yeah?" Naruto studies Sasuke's expression, hoping for some sign of acceptance. If he pushes him away now, Naruto doesn't know that he could handle it.

"Alright, dobe." Naruto breathes in at the unwitting verdict the raven gives. Sasuke steps off to the side, allowing Naruto to move forward. Finally getting to his locker doesn't do him much good though, as his hands are shaking too bad to successfully put in the combination.

After three failed attempts and a string of swearing from Naruto, Sasuke sighs and steps up behind the blonde. "What is the code?"

"Uh," Naruto tries to think around the nerves dancing in his brain. He can feel Sasuke's chest against his back, and his arms are hooked around either side of his waist; hands waiting at the lock for Naruto's response. "Ten-two-eighteen," he manages to breathe out. He watches as Sasuke's long and thin fingers work the lock with ease. He pulls down and magically, it opens.

"Show off," Naruto mutters under his breath as he watches Sasuke's arms fall back. The raven steps back, and Naruto can't decide if he's happy for the press of Sasuke to be gone.

"You're too easily shaken." Naruto doesn't have to turn around to know there's a smirk playing on that jerk's lips. How dare he tease him for something that's his fault anyway?

Naruto throws his books in his locker haphazardly, grabs his bag and the few books he does need to take, and slams his locker shut. The blonde decides to just turn and walk to the parking lot without paying any attention to Sasuke, though his efforts are in vain. The infuriating jerk must have started moving when Naruto closed his locker, as he's already turning to go down the stairs. Naruto growls lowly before stalking after him. Remind me again why I'm falling for this guy, Naruto thinks gloomily. His emotions get put on a rollercoaster every time he deals with him. One minute they're "just friends", then they're not even speaking, then kissing, and now the raven is acting all arrogant. Not that that's anything unusual, honestly. That's Sasuke's base mood.

But it's so frustrating! All Naruto gets from the situation is an inordinate amount of confusion. What made Sasuke decide to do that? Was it a spur of the moment? Had he already planned on doing it? Was it some form of punishment? Just using Naruto's attraction against him?

Naruto groans in annoyance at himself. Why is he even letting it bother him so much? It was one kiss! And probably meant nothing to Sasuke. There's no way the raven is as worked up over it as Naruto is letting himself get.

"Are you going to mope for the rest of the day?" Sasuke glares across the hood of his car at the blonde as he opens his door.

"I'm not moping," Naruto all but growls out as he rips open the door to the Camaro.

"Don't take your fit out on my car," Sasuke says warningly.

"You actually care about something?" Naruto returns bitingly when they both settle inside. The blonde is thankful for the refuge from the cold, but being this close to Sasuke after what transpired not ten minutes ago is a bit much.

It doesn't seem Naruto is going to get a response, not that he expects one. The drive to Java's is a silent one, with both boys stiffly keeping to themselves.

So when Sasuke parks outside the café, Naruto is more than pleased with bolting to the safety indoors. Quiet, comfort, and coffee await him. And unfortunately, a conversation about what happened before, too.

"Hey, Naruto," AJ greets him from the counter. "Where's your partner in crime?" Just as she says it, the aloof raven pulls open the door, letting in a gust of chilly air before it settles shut again.

"There," Naruto says simply. "I want a mocha latte today. And chocolate."

AJ laughs but doesn't argue. "And you, Sasuke? Usual?" The raven nods, and as AJ turns to start making the drinks, he moves to take a seat in their usual area.

"Hey, AJ, do you think it would be a problem to shift all my hours up a bit? Soccer is starting again soon, and some of the guys want to practice after school for an hour."

"Not a problem," AJ says easily. "Starting next month, your practices take two hours, right?"

Naruto nods in agreement. "Yeah, but I'll still work after, you know!"

AJ laughs carelessly. "Just let me know if it's all too much, and we'll work something out. I know we managed last year, but you have more on your plate this time."

The blonde won't disagree there. His senior year keeps increasing in difficulty. Whether it's from his classes, this stupid project, or his personal life. It seems like one thing or another is trying to bring him down.

Carefully grabbing the mugs AJ sits down, Naruto walks over to the table. He happily sits down when he sees AJ coming with his cake.

"I didn't realize you were continuing soccer this year." Huh? Naruto looks up in mild confusion at the raven that finally broke his silence.

"Of course," Naruto says, a bit surprised. "I love soccer. Why wouldn't I continue?"

Sasuke barely shrugs his shoulders. "You haven't said anything about it." Sasuke glances out the window, training his gaze on something out of their reach. "I'm continuing baseball."

"That's awesome," Naruto says enthusiastically. "You really helped pick the team up when you took the co-captain spot. Though I'm surprised they didn't just make you full-on captain."

"They tried, but I didn't want it. It would have interfered with my studies and other groups."

"Are your practices at the same time as ours?"

Sasuke nods, still not paying attention to the blonde. "We'll have to change our meeting times."

Naruto shrugs his shoulders, unfazed. "That's not really a problem. We'll just meet here after practice, or after I get off work, like usual. Push comes to shove; we can just meet at your house, right?"

That gets Sasuke to look at him, and leaves him with a playful smirk gracing those sinful lips. "Who says I'll invite you over again, dobe?"

"You wouldn't miss an opportunity to get me at your house," the blonde teasingly shoots back, before he realizes the ramifications of what he just said. Blushing, He looks down at his half-eaten cake. "We'll figure it out, yeah?" If that question has multiple implications, even Naruto wouldn't be able to understand. He's not sure if he's speaking for the schedule change alone, or whatever is going on between them.

"Yeah, dobe." Sasuke doesn't say any more on the subject, and his words don't leave much to be implied. He reaches down to his bag and pulls out his journal and pen, along with today's assignment.

"The topic is part I of II, covering attraction."

"Eh?" The forkful of cake heading towards Naruto's mouth is paused as he takes in what Sasuke just said. "You've got to be kidding me." Is this some sort of cruel-minded joke? The last thing they need to be talking about is attraction. What did he do to make the fates so angry with him?

"First question," Sasuke begins without hesitation, "what is attraction?" He levels his gaze at Naruto, eyebrow tipped up in a loathsome manner. Naruto scowls, crossing his arms over his chest and looking off to the side.

"It's a pain in the ass," he mutters under his breath. But at the smirk that emerges on Sasuke's face, he decided to just answer it. "Attraction is liking someone, yeah?"

"Anything else?"

Naruto sighs harshly. "I don't know. I mean, when I'm attracted to somebody, it's not like I stop and think about all the things that make me like them, you know? It just happens."

"Many factors come into play during attraction, which can form in several different ways," Sasuke begins. Naruto can tell from the tone of his voice that he's going to be all business about this. Not a trace of personal influence can be found. "There is not just romantic attraction, but friendship, admiration, liking, lust. Any form of appeal can be related as attraction. Physical appeal is a major factor for many people; sometimes the only one. Personality and sociable agreement tends to be the next. Then there are material gains to attraction; such as liking someone for wealth. We tend to be attracted to people that in some way make us feel good, or like we're being rewarded for being near them."

"Question two; how does it influence social behavior?" Given the pause, Naruto can tell Sasuke wants him to try to answer. He's not going easy on him today and doing all the work himself.

"I think we let our attractions kind of rule our life, right? Like, who we like kind of becomes a central point to us. Because of that, it's going to influence how we behave around those people, and in turn, around groups with those people in it."

Sasuke nods in agreement. "Social behavior can be greatly influenced by attraction, or the lack thereof. We treat people differently depending on what sort of attraction we hold to them. Including no attraction at all."

"How do your opinions influence your attraction to others?" Sasuke looks to Naruto to answer, who does so after some contemplation.

"Everybody has a different opinion on what makes someone attractive in any sense. Like how you can be best friends with one person, but then hate the person that your friend likes. I think different values, views, and opinions are the reason people can have such totally different likes and dislikes."

"Agreed. It's also good to note how people have a habit of letting other viewpoints than their own affect who they're attracted to. Like not admitting their attracted to someone because other people might talk." The harsh edge to Sasuke's words cut deep, but Naruto won't take that lying down.

"That's not fair, Sasuke," the blonde says immediately. "I don't want people to start rumors about us. I've been there before, okay? I just want to get through this last semester without being shunned. I can't tell you how fucked up I used to be due to people talking shit about me." Naruto leans back in the booth and closes his eyes, willing the old hurt to fade back out. He tries so hard to not dwell on these things. His life has been paradise since he came to Kasai. Hell, four years of Sakura's rejections wasn't as painful as a week of his childhood.

"Dobe," Sasuke says quietly, "stop worrying about what people."

"That's easy for you to say. You're gorgeous, intelligent, athletic, and you've got this thing about that makes people go stupid-crazy. And me?" Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "I try to be nice to everyone and see the bright side. That's about it."

"You have an inferiority complex."

"A what?" Naruto opens an eye to take in the raven, casually sitting there in his holier than thou way.

Sasuke rolls his eyes, but goes on to explain. "It means you don't think yourself to be good enough, which leads you to try to over achieve." Sasuke raises an eyebrow in contemplation. "Dobe, lean forward."

"Huh? Why?" But Naruto does as asked, and pushes his upper body against the table, effectively moving himself about halfway across their shared space. Sasuke reaches his hand out just quick enough to throw Naruto off guard, and hooks it behind the blonde's neck.

Naruto's eyes widen and he starts to move back, but Sasuke's firm grasp keeps him in place. "Sasuke –" the panicked boy begins to say warningly, but the name is swallowed by the raven's mouth.

This kiss is hard and bruising and leaves Naruto breathless. It's not at all calm and collected like the one in the hallway; Sasuke was apparently being careful at that time. He's playing no such game now.

When Sasuke takes Naruto's bottom lip between his teeth and gently bites, the blonde can't help but moan. Taking advantage, Sasuke flicks his tongue against Naruto's lip, this time getting the response he wanted before. Naruto shyly pushes against him, losing himself to sensation.

So when Sasuke pulls away as quickly as he started, it's fair to say the blonde is quite lost. He slowly blinks himself back to reality, where he indignantly starts sputtering. "What do you – and in the middle of my work – how dare –"

"I have no problem with people talking about me, so long as I'm doing the things I want to do. Society does not dictate my actions." Sasuke reaches out and runs his finger along Naruto's bottom lip, prompting the blonde to smack him away; a dark hue painting along his cheeks.

"Now, question four: How do your beliefs influence your attraction to others?"

Naruto honestly tries very hard to take all this in; he really does. But you try getting mouth molested by an Uchiha and just bounce back from it. That makes two times today. Neither was expected, either.

"Answer the question, rather than sitting there like an idiot."

"Shut up, teme! I'm trying to collect myself." This… This… Demon! This evil thing sitting across from him has no respect for personal boundaries! You can't just go around sticking your tongue down an innocent, unsuspecting blonde's throat! No matter how many times they're daydreamed about it.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Beliefs influence our attraction because people like to be around others with similar views to theirs. This can come in a variety of ways. It can be a mutual belief on any topic. It's even common for someone to be attracted to others based on one, sole mutual belief. Or the reverse. People can bond over differences in belief; depending on how accepting the people are."

Naruto writes everything Sasuke says down, refusing to make eye contact. He's also keeping to his own side of the table now, thank you. It doesn't take too many lessons for Uzumaki Naruto to figure out when to keep his distance from someone. That raven isn't safe for the blonde's innocence remaining intact, that's for sure.

"The final question. Do you have like-minded attractions, or thrive on differences? Answer."

"Both, I guess," Naruto says begrudgingly. "It's nice to have people around that agree with you and understand where you're coming from. But it's also good to have people that can show you different points and explains things in a new way. Like, Kiba is my best friend, and usually we agree, but when we don't, I don't take offense. It just gives me a new form of understanding." Even if that understanding is one he'd rather have never been introduced to.

"Which am I to you?"

Naruto scoffs lightly. "I don't understand anything about your way of thinking. But," he tacks on quickly, "I do enjoy being with you."

Sasuke shows no emotion towards that little emission. "I find people who have different views from me to be interesting. It's preferred to just agreeing on everything."

"Agreeing isn't bad, though." Naruto interjects. "You gotta agree sometimes, or the relationship can't progress well."

"That depends on how weak-minded the people are. If they can reach a compromise, then it's not a problem."

"Do you even know what compromise means? I thought it was always your way or no way."

A slight panic overcomes Naruto at the steely glare Sasuke sends him. "I have done nothing but compromise this last month with you."

Naruto opens his mouth to continue arguing, but he can't really deny that. Sasuke has been extremely giving towards everything; more so than Naruto thought he was capable.

"I suppose," he bites out softly, not wanting to admit he's wrong.

Sasuke rolls his eyes while gathering up his book and supplies. "The assignments done. Let's go."

Naruto's eyes widen, mind spinning on the implications of going back to Sasuke's house. Oh no. Not happening. This guy has proven to have no qualms with molesting him in public. Like hell Naruto will be alone with him tonight.

"I can't stay," the blonde says quickly. Sasuke pauses in putting his things away, sending a glare Naruto's way.

"Why not?"

"I have a ton of homework to do," he says quickly. Not even a lie; his teachers think Mondays and Fridays are the best to give out multiple assignments.

"I'll help you."

Dammit, does he have to make that offer now? Naruto could definitely use the help of one of the top students of his school. But, no! He won't give in. "I study better alone."

Sasuke sighs in frustration. "I won't touch you."

Like I believe that, Naruto thinks harshly. Let's just try honesty, then. "I'll be too nervous to get anything done. Homework or essays."

"You don't have time to be nervous. You have to complete the applications."

"Look," Naruto tries to pacify the raven. "I work after school every day for the rest of the week, except Friday. Why don't I just come over after school then?" When he doesn't receive an immediate no from Sasuke, he continues. "This gives me time to talk to Kakashi and Kurenai about recommendations."

Sasuke seems to consider this option; coming to some conclusion mentally. He nods to Naruto and gets up. "Fine, dobe."

Naruto sighs in relief. Then all he has to get through is the next ten minutes.

* * *

Naruto groans and leans back in his seat. Finally, he's home. No more know-it-all best friends, kiss-stealing ravens, or fan-girl shop owners. That's right; on the way out, AJ gave him the biggest smirk he'd ever seen on her face and a thumbs up sign. If she saw the whole scene, she should have come over and told Sasuke to cut it out! Not encourage him.

All Naruto wants to do is go inside, eat as much ramen as his stomach can hold, and get caught up on his homework.

It's while he's sitting at the kotatsu enjoying his dinner and wracking his brain on advanced algebra that Jiraiya emerges from his study. "Hey, brat." He ruffles Naruto's hair, sitting down and stealing one of his cups of ramen.

"Go make your own," Naruto mumbles around a mouth full of noodles.

Jiraiya chuckles and starts eating, completely disregarding Naruto's complaint. "Did you have fun on your weekend out?"

When Naruto left for work Saturday, he quickly told Jiraiya on the way out that he would be hanging out with a friend. Of course, he didn't mention anything about staying the night, because he didn't realize he would.

"Yeah, it was fun. Sasuke helped me start a college application, and he took me to Seattle." The surprised look on the old man's face reminds Naruto that he hasn't mentioned the project.

"The same Sasuke you've moaned and groaned about since you met him freshman year?"

Naruto sighs. So much for a peaceful night. "Yeah. We got thrown together for a psychology project. He's not so bad, I guess."

"I knew it," Jiraiya says while shaking his head. "I knew this has all just been misplaced sexual tension.

Naruto nearly chokes on his ramen. "Eh?!" He screeches at his stupid guardian. "What makes you think –"

"It's alright, kid. I'll support you no matter who you choose. Just be happy." Jiraiya chuckles and ruffles the flustered blonde's hair again before standing up. "You ought to bring him by and let me meet him, though. I've been hearing about him for years. Would like to put a face to the name."

"Whatever, old man," Naruto mutters out embarrassedly. What else can he possibly say in this situation? He's not going to deny it. He's already been through this with Kiba. And after what happened today, Naruto is more definite in his interest in Sasuke than ever.

"By the way, what's the name of the teacher who put you guys together?"

"Kakashi," Naruto answers, slightly perturbed. "Why?"

"Oh," Jiraiya starts with a cheeky grin, "I just want to send him a gift basket, is all."

* * *

Kakashi resists a groan as he takes a seat. He's getting to old for this, he thinks ruefully. The next time Guy calls him up in the middle of the night, demanding a competition on the spot, he has to learn to say no. Competitive spirit be damned.

"Kakashi, there's a student wishing to speak to you." The silver haired teacher turns a lazy eye to the blonde informant. Students bothering him on lunch break? That won't do.

"Tell them I'm pre-occupied."

"Sir, please. The boy seems so… Honest." The poor girl looks nervous out her wits, but she continues to stand there, waiting for Kakashi to change his answer.

Honest? What does that have to do with Kakashi talking to them? Better yet, they should run away before he can have any influence. "Who is it?"

"Uzumaki Naruto, sir."

"Let him in," comes the immediate response from behind Kakashi. The silver haired man closes his eyes at the unwarranted decision from Anko. As much as Kakashi would love to rub it in her face that he is indeed winning, his lack of sleep is begging him to take a quiet day.

He should have called in.

The little blonde girl walks back to the door, ushering in a more familiar blonde. Naruto gives her a bright smile before turning his attention to Kakashi.

"Hey, Kashi. I have a favor to ask." The nerves in Naruto's voice cut through Kakashi's exhaustion and peaks his interest. He turns his full attention to his student.

"Maa, what do you need?" He watches the blonde fidget for a moment, before deciding to just come out with it.

"Well, some things happened and I've decided to apply for college." Naruto runs a hand through his hair; a nervous habit that is the cause of his perpetually messy look. "Anyways, Sasuke is helping me and I'm in a big rush because he's so pushy. I was wondering if you could write me a recommendation for the applications. There are three universities that I'm applying to."

Kakashi is doing his best to refrain from gloating. He can practically feel the hostility rolling off Anko. It won't hurt to tease her a bit, will it?

"You and Sasuke are pretty close these days." Oh, how Kakashi's world lights up at the blush covering Naruto's cheeks.

"It's your fault, you know," Naruto mumbles out. "I have to see him a lot."

"I'm glad you've bonded so quickly." Kakashi chuckles but decides to leave it alone. No need to further embarrass the poor boy. "When do you need the recommendation by?"

"Well," Naruto says solemnly, "I'm going to Sasuke's house on Friday. If that's not too much to ask, by then."

Oh, it just keeps getting better. The silver haired man is more than knowing of Sasuke's deep secrecy of his personal matters. The school doesn't even have his home address, but a box at the post office. For the raven to have given his information out to Naruto is a huge advance.

"I'll see what I can do." Naruto beams at Kakashi's answer.

"Thank you so much. It's a huge help." Naruto flashes a grin at his teacher one more time, before turning to leave the lounge. Once he's out the door, Kakashi can't resist anymore.

"Maa, Anko, what do you think of that?"

"Oh, shut up," comes the bitter reply. "That doesn't mean anything. Even friends hang out."

"When has Sasuke ever hung out with anyone? Or offered his help in somebody else's personal affairs?" Kakashi leans his head back, sending a wink to Anko. "I think they're progressing nicely."

Anko scoffs and rolls her eyes. "We'll see. There's still four months before the term is over."

This doesn't deter Kakashi. If things keep going like this, then there will be no problems. The only foreseeable issue would be a certain cheerleader duo. But that can be taken care of. Kakashi is not a man to let two teenage girls ruin his endeavors.

Pushing his own personal affairs aside, he does have things to attend to. If the blonde needs a recommendation by the end of the week, he'll need to start writing it soon. Naruto is one of the few students he would feel compelled to help on such short notice. But he knows of Naruto's prior resistance to attending higher education.

When it came time during the fall for seniors to talk to the guidance counselor about their choices, Iruka was quite upset that Naruto didn't wish to apply anywhere. That meek little counselor actually came to Kakashi and asked him to talk to Naruto as well, since the boy has always seemed to look up to Kakashi. Naruto even flatly told Kakashi he wouldn't be going.

It makes the silver-haired man curious as to what could have transpired in such a short amount of time. Naruto is not one to easily change his mind once he's set it on a specific course. The blondes personal life has always been one shrouded in mystery; he doesn't like to talk about it himself, and the only people who have any knowledge prior to him coming to Kasai is his guardian, and Tsunade.

Speaking of the principal, Kakashi suddenly remembers that he's supposed to be attending a meeting with her… forty five minutes ago. How time flies. He sighs and looks glumly at his Icha Icha. There will be no time to read today, it seems.


	8. Boundaries

**Authors Note :** Just in case it's not clear (and there's no reason it should be), I am always open to story/plot suggestions. Whether you leave it as a review or send me a private message, I always take into account what my readers say and think about the story. It's one of the biggest reasons why I'm writing this as a FanFic and posting it here. Good feedback is wonderful, but constructive criticism builds a fantastic story. Last chapter, I had about three different criticisms/ideas that really helped! For that reason, I just thought I should post a thank you note in acknowledgment.

As for the darling reviewer who said I should make Ino/Sakura be together, you're getting ahead of yourself *wink*wink*. Just read the story lol. I already have things planned.

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 **Betas Note :** Hello guys! I'm Kas(SmileForMe813) I'm the new beta, well. I guess I'm the only beta? I recently decided to give an on-going story a chance. Man, am I glad I did. I stumbled across this beauty and made a wonderful friend from doing so. AJ and I have been talking since Friday roughly when I asked if she'd like a beta for the story. I've been urging her to write and doing my best to help so we can all enjoy the chapter ASAP. If you ever have an idea, much like she said, feel free to send a private message. If you send one to either of us we will no doubt discuss it and if we like it we'll figure out a way to add it to the story. I've been throwing out small ideas myself to help her push the story along. Apparently thanks to me is why you guys will get the chapter so soon! Enjoy 😉 there's a surprise inside. Side note, I'd like to mention I'm coming in on chapter 8 but there may be B/N's added on previous chapters.

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 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse. **  
**

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

* * *

 **Chapter 8 : Boundaries**

* * *

 _Don't forget about practice and go with lover boy_. Naruto growls at the text from Kiba. Of course, he wouldn't forget about practice due to Sasuke. He only missed yesterday because he forgot and went into work at his usual time. Today, he has his sports bag slung over his shoulder already, thank you.

Pulling open the rear door of his jeep, Naruto is about to toss the bag into the seat when he notices something strange. There are two sets of garden pots in his way that he's never seen before. He doesn't think he bought them and is just failing to recall them, and Jiraiya wouldn't put them in his jeep; he's too ostentatious for that.

Upon closer look, Naruto sees a packet inside one of the pots. Picking it up, his eyes widen at the logo he sees. Chihuly Gardens? But he didn't buy anything… Then it dawns on him. This is the mixed herb packet he mentioned would be nice to have. He didn't think anything of it at the time, but Sasuke was away from him for quite a bit of time after he walked off to a different display. Naruto never would have imagined the raven had purchased it for him. And got him six gardening pots to plant them in!

A mixture of excitement and panic settles inside the blonde's stomach. On one hand, he can tell that this was a pretty big gesture from Sasuke. On the other, he does not understand in the least what is going on in the raven's head. He hasn't said one thing about liking Naruto- whether as a friend or a romantic interest – but here he is, doing exceptionally nice things for the blonde.

And what about those kisses yesterday? Sasuke said he'd do what he wants to do, no matter what society says about it. But was that just his way of proving to Naruto that he can handle criticism better? It's not like he conveyed with words what was going on in his head. Both kisses came out of nowhere, with no explanation.

Naruto hasn't allowed himself to dwell on them, either. As far as he's concerned, they were both flukes. Or a power play, which would fit the raven exceedingly well. Either way, Naruto has no basis of proof to think they came from any sort of affection.

He does need to thank him, though. Naruto bites his lip and glances at his phone. He could cop out and send him a text. Or, he could tell him in person. Better yet, they could possibly have a conversation about whatever is going on. Naruto can't tell if that would help ease his conscious or make it worse.

"This is so pointless," Naruto grumbles at the pavement. "It's not gonna go anywhere, no matter what." With that happy thought in mind, Naruto throws his bag across the pots and slams the door.

I'm just spending too much of my time agonizing over these things, he reasons with himself. There's nothing going on that means anything, no matter what Kiba and other idiots might say. Sasuke agreed the other day that they're just friends, and anything he does to undermine that idea is just a weird Uchiha way of ticking a certain blonde off.

It's best to just push the whole ordeal from his mind. Why ruin a good thing by wanting too much? He and Sasuke are finally getting along. That should be enough. Naruto will make it be enough.

Pushing thoughts away is difficult when the subject is next to you all morning. After seriously debating it over in his head, Naruto decides it's best to not say anything about the garden gift. If Sasuke wanted attention drawn to it, then he would have given it directly. The last thing the blonde wants to deal with is an irate Sasuke.

Though, Naruto is pleased that Sasuke's attitude from Monday seems to have dissipated some. Everything seems to be back to normal. Too normal, Naruto thinks, when he comes up to his locker.

Ino is actually pulling books from her own, instead of sharing with Sakura. How long has it been since he saw that? Did the girls have a fallout? Well, that's none of his business. He just hopes that he can to his locker and away from the cheerleader before any drama can start.

Such luck doesn't seem to be on his side. As he approaches, Ino turns to look at him. The blank expression quickly morphs into a glare, before softening down again. "Naruto," she bites out quickly with a slight nod in his direction. She turns back to her own locker, and Naruto silently eases himself next to his own.

He's torn between wanting to grab everything all at once and fleeing, or moving so slowly it's hard to acknowledge he exists. Unfortunately, in his inability to make up his mind, he just stands there, staring at his locker.

"Naru," Ino calls him by a nickname Sai made up ages ago; she used to visit so often to flirt with that guy. Some of his bad habits rubbed off on her, like that name. "Can we talk during lunch? In the northeastern courtyard?"

Eh? Naruto tilts his head to look at her. Talk to him alone? She nearly slapped him last time she had that bright idea. But, there's something akin to pain in her expression that Naruto can't say no to.

Naruto sighs and mentally berates himself for being such a good soul. "Sure, Ino. That's fine." The blonde cheerleader gives Naruto a weak smile before walking off.

What have I gotten myself into, Naruto thinks mournfully as he walks to class. This can't turn out well.

* * *

Naruto's thoughts have only grown worse in the hours leading up to the meeting. Neither Sakura nor Ino have ever seemed particularly spiteful towards anyone, but then again, no one has ever gotten this close to Sasuke.

With that in mind, a highly wary blonde sits on a bench underneath the largest tree in the courtyard. He cautiously eyes the snow covered branches above him. She definitely chose an isolated place. This courtyard – the northeastern one – is the farthest from the cafeteria and the main courtyards. Many nefarious things could be done out here, Naruto thinks offhandedly. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…

"Hey," Naruto looks over to see Ino approaching the bench. "Thanks for coming." She glances down and moves her bangs to be cradled behind her ear. "I haven't really been that great towards you here lately."

Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "We never were best friends or anything."

"Yeah," Ino sighs, "but we always got along. Things have been hard recently, though." Ino sits down next to the blonde, crossing her legs and facing him. "I know you probably think Sakura is just the worst, and me too." Ino holds up a hand to stop Naruto from talking. "But she's just trying to get what she wants. I think we can both understand that." Ino levels a heavy gaze at Naruto. "I saw you and Sasuke together on Monday."

"Eh?!" Naruto squawks out in shock. "You were in the hallway?"

"Hallway?" Ino repeats back, confusion evident on her face. "I saw you guys at the café. I stopped by to see if Sai was working." She sighs and runs a hand through her bangs. "You were making out at school, too? Jeez, this is worse than I thought."

Tell me about it, Naruto thinks vehemently. He knew that damn kiss in the café would come back to haunt him. "Well, it's not like I asked him to jump me either time," Naruto states indignantly. "I have no idea what that jerk was thinking when he did that, and I plan to just let it go."

"You mean that, Naruto?" Ino is looking to the poor boy with such hope, that he doesn't know what else to do but agree.

Naruto nods solemnly. "Yeah, Ino. I don't plan on pursuing anything with him."

Ino sighs in obvious relief. "Sakura would die if she knew about the other day, but if it's not going to happen again, then I won't worry."

"Ino, Sasuke is not going to be with Sakura. No matter how much she pushes, it's not going to happen. I think Monday should be an eye opener to you on that."

"To me, sure. But I'm not telling Sakura. There's no reason for her to know and be hurt over it. It's bad enough he rejected her again yesterday, though I tried to tell her not to ask right then."

This is news to Naruto. He wasn't aware that Sakura was still trying to win over Sasuke, despite all the put downs. "She's just going to get hurt in the long run, Ino."

"I'm hoping more like, worn out. For a while, I was hoping that Sasuke would give in and date her. But I now realize that Sakura doesn't even approach Sasuke's realm of interest." Ino sighs again. "All I really wanted to come and see you about is already taken care of, if you don't plan on doing anything with Sasuke."

Naruto rolls his eyes. Meddling women. Can't leave anything alone, no matter what. "You don't have to worry about Sakura seeing me and Sasuke together." There is something about the whole ordeal that confuses the blonde. "I don't get it, Ino. Aren't you into Sasuke, too? Why help Sakura out so much?"

Ino scoffs and stands up, dusting herself off as she starts to walk away. "As if, Naru. If anything, I can understand your situation a little too well." She gives a casual wave as she disappears towards a building, leaving the blonde slightly confused – but mostly annoyed – over the whole conversation.

If there is anything Naruto is sick of, it's people telling him how to deal with his own affairs. Whether they're encouraging or trying to turn him away, he's done with the whole thing. Everybody needs to go back to dealing with their own lives, and let him figure his out.

Not that he knows what he's doing, either.

* * *

By the time Friday rolls around, Naruto's mind has been cleared of all drama concerning relationships of any sort. In its place are horrendous amounts of homework. His brain is on the verge of a meltdown. His only saving grace is that he's not slacking this semester. He would have drowned in a sea of incomplete and failing marks if he were handling this like a normal semester. Not that he doesn't care about academic achievement! But Uzumaki Naruto has more important things to spend his life and time on than homework. This semester is just… Different.

Naruto solely blames Sasuke. Something must have come off the raven and contaminated the blonde! Some weird academic-do-gooder virus. This is why that jerk is going to help him do all the homework tonight.

 _Teme!_ Naruto types out quickly as he walks to the cafeteria. _Am I coming over right after school?_ The blonde hits send as he navigates through the crowd of people, wanting to get through the food line and seated. He chooses a table in the corner of the room since it's just him today. Kiba feels the need to spend his extra time out on the practice field, and Shika and Choji always go out on Friday.

It comes as a bit of a shock to the blonde when a stack of books are dropped onto the table next to Naruto, who averts his gaze at the owner. One certain Uchiha pulls out the chair beside Naruto and sits down with a heavy sigh.

Naruto hasn't paid much attention to Sasuke today; he's been too wrapped up in studies. But Sasuke is also looking a little worn. The raven rubs a hand over his eyes before dropping it back down. He stares in disdain at the books on the table.

"Not gonna eat?" Naruto chokes out thickly around a large bite of ramen. Being a stress eater doesn't lend to Naruto skipping a meal that he can certainly take part of. He could stand to gain a few pounds, anyways.

"No," the raven bites out clipped and harsh.

Naruto raises an eyebrow. "Just gonna plot the murder of those books?"

"They belong in a shredder." Sasuke shifts his glare to Naruto, who is completely unfazed. The poor raven almost seems too worn out to have any real venom behind it.

"So, even Uchiha Sasuke gets stressed out?"

"Tch, dobe." Sasuke rolls his eyes but relaxes his face back into the usual passive nonchalance. "You're coming over at the end of 6th period."

Naruto grins at the way Sasuke says it. Like he's getting teeth ripped out. The blonde nudges Sasuke's shoulders, pushing into his personal space. "Come on, you know you love having me around."

"Dobe," Sasuke says lowly. The heated and undeniably sexy tone to his voice sends shivers down Naruto's back. He blushes and pulls away, suddenly self-conscious of their proximity.

"Anyways, I need help with my homework! Let's have a study night!"

"Can your brain handle a full night of studying?"

"I might require a few breaks and relaxation during, but otherwise, I'll be fine!"

"I can provide relaxation," the hint of teasing in Sasuke's voice, and the smirk on his face throw Naruto off. What's that supposed to mean?

"Do you like to play games?" Sasuke glances at Naruto with a raised eyebrow, while the blonde waits for the answer. Personally, Naruto loves Monopoly. When he's winning, of course.

"Games, dobe?" Sasuke smirks again and leans in towards the blonde, getting into his space with no remorse. "Asking about kinks so soon?"

Naruto sputters around his mouthful of food and pushes away from Sasuke, eyes livid. "Teme! I didn't mean it like that! And what do you think you're doing? You're being way too public!" The blonde hisses the last bit out, casting a quick glance around the cafeteria. He doesn't note anyone specifically watching them, but you can never be too sure.

"Obviously, dobe." The raven lounges back in his chair, watching Naruto have his fit. "That's your fault."

"What's my fault?" Naruto asks in honest confusion. He hasn't done anything, so far as he knows. This whole week has all been strange because of the jerk in front of him.

"Publicity," Sasuke states simply, as if this explains everything.

Naruto's head swims with this simple revelation. "You're the one doing it, how is it my fault?"

"I told you, you'll learn to get over it. Even if I have to teach you how." Naruto stares at Sasuke in dumbfounded shock. Has that what all this week has been about? Just forcing Naruto to come out, basically?

"You fucking jerk," Naruto spews out with some serious anger. "You've just been fucking with me all week. Do you –"

"Naruto," the raven says slow and clear. "I haven't done anything that I didn't want to. Settle down."

Naruto huffs and continues to glower at his food. He's spent a good amount of time the last couple days pushing all this down and to the side, but it seems like Sasuke has no intentions of letting it go. The little blonde's poor mind can't handle sexual innuendos coming from his new crush.

* * *

By some stroke of luck, the rest of the afternoon works its way out uneventfully. Nobody bothers Naruto and his classes are smooth sailing. Sure, Noriko-sensei gave them three new assignments, but at least he didn't get scolded or called upon. Plus, Kiba was too exhausted from training to bother the blonde about bailing from practice this evening – something that typically would have earned him a rant only made the mutt huff in annoyance and mutter about "Uchiha assholes".

Apparently, Sasuke doesn't want to wait for his little blonde nuisance today, the boy finds out after Culinary Arts. The raven sent him a short text simply saying _Waiting_ about twenty minutes before the end of class.

Grumbling in annoyance, Naruto hits dial by Sasuke's name, and hopes the jerk actually picks up.

"What?" The not-so-kind but expected response greets Naruto's ears.

"Did you already leave?"

"Yes."

Naruto huffs in envy. "How did you get out so early?"

"I had a test in Biology. Finished early." Naruto rolls his eyes at the lack of interest in Sasuke's voice. He makes it sound like this should be the most obvious thing ever.

"You home?"

"Yeah. Quit talking and come over. I want to get settled into studying."

"Whatever, teme." Naruto states harshly. In a slightly softer tone he adds, "see you soon."

Sasuke just gives a light scoff before hanging up, leaving Naruto to toss every single one of his books in his bag and head for his jeep. The weight on his shoulder reminds him of what a hell weekend it's going to be. He has so much to accomplish tonight; to the point he's not sure he'll make it. While the essays are important, they're not imperative to his graduation. Unlike the hefty amount of assignments he has.

"Naruto," a familiar carefree voice drifts off from behind the blonde. Naruto halts his descent down the stairs to glance behind himself, seeing Kakashi at the top of the stairs. "The recommendations." The silver haired teacher holds the printed paper out to an ecstatic blonde, who quickly climbs up the few steps he took to grab them.

"Thank you so much!" Naruto excitedly glances over them, wishing he had them moment before to tell Sasuke.

"Maa, no problem. Work hard on the essays and get accepted, okay?"

"Yeah," Naruto's enthusiasm drops slightly. "It's not that easy, though."

Kakashi chuckles and reaches out a hand, lightly ruffling Naruto's hair. "I believe in you. You'll accomplish it." Naruto blushes and gives a sheepish smile while his hand nervously rubs the back of his neck.

"Thanks, Kashi," the boy mumbles out sincerely.

The silver haired man just gives Naruto his usual eye-smile before walking off down the hallway, leaving Naruto to proceed with his business.

Well, this helps decide it. If Kakashi is nice enough to get this recommendation to him so quickly, then the least he can do is bust his ass on those essays. Might as well rush over to the raven's house to get started.

And it's not like Sasuke is going to go easy on him anyways, Naruto muses as the cranky raven opens the door, silently glaring the blonde into the house. Before Naruto can say anything, Sasuke is already walking off to the dining room, where he has various books stacked and papers laid out. Despite the large amount of work, the raven has it all piled neatly and organized. Just seeing the tidy way Sasuke studies makes Naruto feel inferior. At home, the blonde would have the books strewn about. Hell, half the time he doesn't even realize he's working on the wrong assignment till halfway through.

"We're getting Assignment 10 out of the way. Then your essays. Then I'll help you with your studies."

"Eh," Naruto shrugs his shoulders while eyeing Sasuke's work, "you have enough of your own to do."

"Dobe, I'm in advanced classes. Your work isn't going to be difficult."

Way to make a guy feel good about himself, Naruto scathes mentally. He drops his bag on the table with a heavy clunk. Ignoring the glare from Sasuke, Naruto pulls out his Social Psychology work and sits down.

Wasting no time, he zones into the top paper of the stack. "Okay, Assignment 10. Otherwise known as…" Naruto trails off as he looks at the title. "Attraction II? Come on," he groans out. Kakashi is just tormenting him. The man has decided he wants to make Naruto last semester hell in return for those recommendations, hasn't he?

"Question one," Sasuke cuts in, no trace of humor to be found, "do your social identities help or harm your attraction to others?' It doesn't seem like the raven has any intentions of waiting around for Naruto to take the initiative and answer. "Social identities in general play a large part in attraction, as people are more likely to be attracted, on any basis, to people they feel they have something in common with. Personally, my social identities do not particularly affect whom I like or build relationships with. I don't seek out people who share identities with me."

Naruto scoffs under his breath. Sasuke doesn't seek out anyone for any reason; he avoids people like they carry the plague. "I agree; I don't really base the people in my life around my social identities. Sure, some things just happen, like sharing the same language. But I don't choose my attractions on things like having the same religion or anything. I really enjoy just being around people, no matter what."

"Next, do your social identities help or harm people's attraction to you?" Sasuke sighs, seemingly irritated with the question. "This is another one of those questions that should be debate based in a lecture room. You can't particularly answer a question about what other people think about you, without a large pool of peers to give the verdict. Just as people are attracted to others that share their beliefs, the same goes the opposite direction. With that being said, people that feel they share something with me would be attracted to me, not that it would matter."

"I think people are attracted to you no matter what, teme. A person could be blind and still be enraptured by you. Pheromones, man."

Sasuke's scowl drops a little as he raises an eyebrow at the blonde. "Do you even know what you're talking about, dobe? Big word." Naruto resists sticking his tongue out at the arrogant raven, opting instead to read off the third question.

"How does physical appearance play a role in attraction?" Naruto shoots a glare at the boy sitting across from him. He has living proof in the same room that physical appearance can play a huge role in people's attraction. There just comes a point when people don't care anymore how much of an asshole someone is, and fall for the looks.

Taken aback, Naruto thinks about the sudden revelation. Has he spent so much time around Sasuke lately, that he too is being drawn in by the physical? The blonde really doesn't think so. If that were the case, then he would be more willing towards the strange contact Sasuke has tried to initiate this week. If Naruto had to choose one thing he likes about Sasuke, it's the enigma that is his personality.

"I think attraction plays a really big role, considering what kind of attraction a person is interested in. For friendship or familial, it's not such a big deal. But for romantic, I think it's major. Everyone wants to be with someone that's attractive."

"Except you."

Naruto tilts his head to the side at the strange comment. He quickly understands nothing good is about to come from the smirk on Sasuke's face.

"You spent four years pining over Sakura. Not the epitome of attractive girls."

Naruto swears he can feel his jaw drop to the floor. "Teme! That's so mean! Sakura is pretty, in a girl-next-door sort of way."

Sasuke scoffs with no lack of disbelief. "If you say so." The blonde doesn't have a chance to retort, as the jerk starts going for the fourth question. "How does attitude play a role in attraction?"

"Well, yours sucks," Naruto states bitterly. "Honestly. I don't know why I – or anyone else, for that matter – should be attracted to your attitude."

"You admit that you are, though."

Naruto rolls his eyes but doesn't deny it. He's flatly stated to the conceited brat that he is interested, so there's no point in going against that now.

"As you just demonstrated, attitude can either be all someone looks for in attraction, or completely dismiss it if other factors are desirable enough. It's entirely dependent upon each person and how they handle situations, and what they look for in their relationships."

"What do you look for in a relationship?" Naruto asks quickly. He's brain doesn't even have time to catch up to his mouth, and he's as surprised by the question as Sasuke is annoyed, if the glare on his face is any answer.

"I do not form relationships that are not necessary."

"What's considered necessary? Do you not date at all?"

Sasuke sighs in exasperation. "I do not form romantic interests. It's a waste of time and energy."

Ouch. Well, that one hurt a bit. Does that mean anything Naruto says or does at this point will not be reciprocated? What does that mean concerning Sasuke's own advances? Is it all just sexual tension for him? If Naruto actually responded, would it still only be lust? The blonde wants to voice all these questions, but Sasuke holds up a hand when he's about to start in.

"Do not push it, dobe. Things won't change." Sasuke starts putting his papers away, much to Naruto's confusion.

"We still have one more question."

"I just answered it," Sasuke says without looking up. "I already know how you go about relationships."

Naruto looks at the last question; do you form different kinds of attraction? Huh. Well, apparently he's one-step ahead. "You just think you know how I do relationships," the blonde grumbles irately as he digs through his bag, pulling out a pile of work. On top of the stack are the recommendations that Kakashi gave him prior to arriving.

"Kakashi gave me these earlier." Naruto waves the papers around. "Kurenai gave me hers yesterday, so I'm set on that front."

"What about Iruka?"

Naruto snorts and rolls his eyes. "He gave them to me Wednesday afternoon. Wasted no time at all."

"And AJ?"

"She agreed to write one. She said to come in on Sunday and she'd have it."

Sasuke nods in approval. "Then you can get everything done by Monday."

Naruto sighs and stretches his arms high above his head. "That's the goal."

"Then quit playing around and finish the essays." Sasuke tosses a notebook at the blonde, who recognizes it as the one he borrowed last weekend. Opening it, he finds the essays he wrote neatly marked up in red pen. It appears the raven went through and made changes. As Naruto turns to the last page, he's surprised to find several pages of notes for each essay on how to improve them; going so far as having rewritten entire paragraphs.

"Damn, teme. You didn't have to do that." Words cannot describe the mixture of awe and gratitude he feels towards the raven, but the emotion is clear in his voice. Despite this, Sasuke pays no mind. It makes Naruto grin, though. With all the time he's spent around Sasuke, he can differentiate between his various moods. Right now, the blonde is willing to bet the raven is just flustered by such a heartfelt admission. He would tease him about it if not for the actual need to get to work.

Not that there's as much to do as he originally thought. Sasuke has taken care of the three completed essays; all that needs to be done is rewriting them with the corrections. That leaves the fourth and final personal essay. This atrocious feat of writing will be the death of the blonde. He's grateful that he has a new experience to draw upon, but it doesn't change his dislike of writing.

Bearing though it, the blonde finally reaches an end. He groans and pushes the notebook away. Closing his eyes, he leans back in his seat and stretches.

"Finished?"

"Yeah," Naruto states warily. Never again will he subject himself to such last minute nonsense.

"Then let's get started on schoolwork."

Naruto falls forward in his seat, throwing an incredulous glare at Sasuke. "You expect me to just launch into a new workload?"

"Yes, dobe. It's called being successful."

Naruto growls in annoyance. "I am! I'm just not some robot that can do paper after paper."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. Glancing toward the kitchen, he seems to consider a new option. "We can have dinner and then go back to studying."

This brightens the blonde up immediately. "Sure, teme!" Without noticing it, a few hours have pass since he arrived. No wonder his brain feels fried.

"What are you gonna make," he asks curiously. Trailing after Sasuke into the kitchen. The raven studiously examines the contents of the refrigerator, apparently coming up empty on ideas.

Glaring at the innocent produce, Sasuke lets out a blank "I don't know."

Snorting in mild amusement, Naruto comes to stand beside him. Surveying the options, he easily arrives at a solution. "We can make a chicken stir-fry. Do you have any rice?"

Sasuke nods and moves away, heading towards a cupboard. In the meantime, Naruto sets about pulling numerous vegetables from the fridge, as well as a package of chicken.

"Okay," he states seriously, "you cut the chicken into thin strips and I'll get the veggies butchered."

The boys work together in amiable silence. The meal quickly comes together. Somehow, they even managed not to argue – save for Sasuke complaining about Naruto chopping things too quickly. They just… Connect well, Naruto thinks auspiciously.

Upon completion, Sasuke puts together two plates before walking off to the dining room. Over his shoulder, he calls out to the blonde who's still cleaning up. Leaving the kitchen in a mess has always been a pet peeve of Naruto's. "There are drinks in the fridge door."

Taking that as an order more than a suggestion, the blonde rolls his eyes but does as he's bid before following Sasuke to the table.

If Sasuke's behavior is any indication, there will be no dinner and a show tonight. The raven promptly flips open a book upon getting seated. One hand skims through the pages while the other holds a poised fork.

Well, Naruto will not follow suit. No way is he ruining a perfectly good meal with studying. He'll just get his own movie. Technology exists for a reason. As do headphones.

Naruto is about ten minutes into his show when he has the vague prickling feeling of being watched. Turning his attention to his dinner partner explains why.

"Dobe, what are you doing?" The pure disdain in Sasuke's voice is an obvious indicator that the question is rhetorical. The raven is perfectly aware of what he's doing, and his disapproval is etched in the glare on his face.

That's not likely to deter Naruto from giving him a mocking answer. "Eating and watching my show. Can I help you?" He states with no lack of sarcasm.

The Uchiha glare increases to frightening proportions. If Naruto wasn't battle-hardened from years of getting into with Sasuke, he might be scared. "You should be studying."

"I thought the idea was to eat, _then_ study," the blonde says innocently.

Sasuke scoffs in vexation. "You're not going to accomplish anything."

Naruto shrugs his shoulders in complete lack of regard concerning this. "Since when were you so invested in my academic affairs, anyway?"

"I offered to help. I won't rescind that."

"Where were you the last three years? I could have used some of that attitude during finals prep."

"You were too busy fighting me at every turn. What reason would I have had to offer assistance?"

"It's not like you didn't give me a reason to. Always shooting down my ideas and telling me I'm wrong."

"You'll never get anywhere in life if you can't handle opposition."

"Opposition, sure! But a personal debate partner who pisses me off? No thanks."

That scowl is back. "If I make you that annoyed, why are you here?"

Naruto eyes the raven with a sinking suspicion. There is no good way out of this, is there? What does Sasuke expect the blonde to say? He's already told him he's deeply into him. Hell, he returned the kisses before he came to his senses. By this point, it should be obvious that Naruto enjoys his company. Though that's all this needs to be; just friends.

That doesn't mean he can't feed the ravens ego a bit. "What should I tell you, teme? That I'm crushin' on you and it kind of makes me even more interested since you're the only person who's ever gotten a rise out of me?"

Sasuke raises a wicked eyebrow at this admission. "A rise, dobe? I didn't think we'd gotten that far."

"God dammit, Sasuke!" Naruto shouts in anger as he starts choking on his food. Heat rises to his cheeks in an instant. "How come whenever you do open your mouth, it's just to mess with me?"

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders indifferently. "It's as good as any other reason."

"You need to get a better reason," Naruto grumbles out. God, this guy makes him want to sink into the ground and cease to exist. "You haven't mentioned one thing about being into me. Why all the random quips and touching? You make no sense."

"Are you an idiot?" Naruto can't tell for certain, but Sasuke seems to have genuine scathing intrigue at Naruto's statement. "Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"I guess so, teme, because I'm not getting it."

"If you can't figure it out, that's your loss."

Naruto huffs and pushes his empty plate away. "Let's do something I can figure out then, yeah?" Homework seems far more preferable to this conversation.

Without another word on that topic, the boys dive into Physics.

* * *

"Sasuke," Naruto whines out. Holding his aching head in his hands isn't stopping the headache. "Can we take a break? We've been at this for hours." They finished three classes of work already. Despite being a self-righteous jerk, the raven is a particularly good teacher. He somehow manages to explain things with such clarity. On the other hand, he thinks studying for three hours straight is perfectly normal.

Though no amount of studying is going to make Advanced Algebra easy for the blonde. It's his worst subject.

"Come on." Sasuke stands up, grabbing the math book that lays between them.

Naruto groans from soreness in his back and legs from sitting too long. The pain of studying is real, the blonde thinks glumly. He picks up the notebook he's writing the problems in and trails the raven.

Sasuke sits in the corner of the sectional couch with a leg crossed under him. The book lays closed on the seat; Naruto pushes it out of the way and plops down. "Do we have to start studying again so soon?"

Sasuke tosses the remote to Naruto. "Choose something for background noise, but the moment you get distracted, it's off."

"Ooh, let's see what's on HGTV." Naruto happily flips through the channels searching for his favorite.

"HG? Isn't that Home and Garden?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow as he ponders this choice.

"Yeah," Naruto nods, "It's the best! I love all the renovation shows and the ones where they look at homes to buy."

"Are you a woman?"

"No," Naruto grumbles in irritation. "It's just nice to see people building a future for themselves, especially when it's a couple or newlyweds. It's really sweet."

"So, you are a woman." Naruto growls at the smirk playing on the teme's lips. He can be a cynic if he wants, but Naruto adores the idea of "happily ever after." Lord knows he's never experienced it. The least he can do is wish and hope for it. A stable family is a high hope Naruto has.

Though, stealing a glance at the raven next to him, he's not sure how that will work if he finds his preference is truly men. He also seems to have a thing for stubborn gits, if his prior crush on Sakura – and now Sasuke – is any indication. Maybe he's just a glutton for punishment.

"Picking up where we left off," Sasuke's voice cuts into his musings, "solve the following logarithmic."

Naruto groans as the torture picks up again. He writes the problem out as Sasuke voices it. He turns the notebook to Sasuke to verify its validity. The raven gives it a quick glance and nods.

"Now, solve it." The simple command brings a scowl to Naruto's face. Bossy prat.

Naruto furrows his brow in concentration at the mess of numbers. If he remembers correctly, it goes like… The blonde jots down numbers as he does the math – with the aid of a calculator, of course.

"Um, is this right?" Naruto turns the notebook over to Sasuke, who studies the work. Naruto breathes a sigh of relief when Sasuke gives a nod of his head.

"Use this as an example to complete the rest of the work." The blonde does as he's told, but not until he slides to the floor. His back can't handle leaning over the notebook in his lap. He manages to get through half the problems, but then his phone starts vibrating, interrupting the calculator he has pulled up. Glancing quickly at the name, Naruto is surprised to see it's from Ino.

Incredulously, Naruto wonders when he even gave that girl his number. He can't remember her ever asking for it, but he has her saved in his contacts. He opens the message and his confusion increases.

 _Hey, what are you up to?_ The simple and non-threatening message reads. She must think a proactive, kind role in Naruto's life is a better method than full-on disregard.

 _Eh, doing homework_ , Naruto replies in a typical fashion. He's about to pull the calculator back up when his phone goes off again. With a heavy sigh and a raised eyebrow, he reads the text.

 _Is that all?_

Mild dread starts to creep in Naruto's stomach. This girl better not be stalking him now. He's all for her looking out for Sakura and trying to make sure she doesn't get hurt, but there's a limit.

 _Pretty much_ , he sends back quickly. No need to make her think something is going on. Naruto casts an anxious glance to the raven sitting behind him. Sasuke has his nose buried in a book, thank God. He's not paying the least bit of attention to the blonde.

 _Oh, okay_. Is the rapid response from the blonde cheerleader. Naruto thinks that's going to be it; he can exit from the chat and go back to his work. However, another message quickly pops up. _Kiba says you're with Sasuke._ And then another. _What's up with that?_

That damn mutt. What is he thinking, throwing him under the bus like that? Perhaps he was actually really annoyed with Naruto for bailing from practice, and this is his retribution. If that's the case, he's going to get this back tenfold. He just sicced a rabid cheerleader on the blonde.

Naruto stares at his phone in panic, wondering how he's going to explain this without incriminating himself. He drums his thumbs on the edge of his phone in unease. He starts to write a reply, but in a blur of movement, his phone is no longer in his hands. He stares at the empty space for a moment, before turning around to stare at Sasuke.

"Why did you take my phone?"

"You're supposed to be finishing that assignment." Sasuke doesn't look up at Naruto as he says this, opting instead to read over the chat with Ino. "Why are you talking to her?"

Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "She texted me out of nowhere. Probably has something to do with our talk this week."

Sasuke looks up at him sharply. "You spoke?"

"Yeah," Naruto says heavily. Running a hand through his hair, he holds the other one out to retrieve his phone. "She wanted to know what's up. She…" Naruto's throat closes up with nerves. "She saw us as the café."

"It's none of her business."

"I'm aware of that, teme. But still. Kiba, for whatever reason, told her I'm with you." Naruto sighs in frustration, motioning for his phone back.

"Is that a problem?"

"Well, yeah. I told her nothing was going on between us and we're only going to friends. This doesn't look good."

"Why would you tell her that?"

"Because it's true," Naruto states slowly. God, this guy is the king of mixed signals. One minute it's "I don't believe in relationships and I'm not telling you what I think," and the next it's possessive-angry Uchiha who's going territorial.

This is getting him nowhere. Naruto stands up and leans over Sasuke, putting his hand on the armrest of the couch. "Come on, teme. It's none of your business, either. Give me the phone back."

Something flashes in the raven's eyes – some thin cord of sanity or control must have snapped, judging by his next actions. He holds Naruto's phone out to him, but as the blonde goes to reach for it, Sasuke drops it into his lap and pulls the blonde's outstretched arm into him. Hard.

Naruto goes crashing into the raven's lap. Given the force he was pulled down with, he ends up being arched against Sasuke's chest, his face dangerously close to the raven's neck.

Unintentionally, Naruto nuzzles into Sasuke's neck, drawn by the spicy scent of his cologne. How can anyone smell as good as they look? It matches his personality so well, too. There's a slight bite that makes him want to pull away, but something alluring that has Naruto running his nose towards the raven's jawline.

Startled by his actions, he quickly rights himself into a sitting position, not that it's any better. Possibly worse. Now he can see Sasuke's face. There's no repulsion at what Naruto did – quite the opposite. Quickly, Naruto tries to backtrack.

"Look, I don't know," he chokes out rapidly, "I just – let's take –," but the blonde doesn't get to finish whatever he was going to stutter out. Sasuke roughly threads his fingers into Naruto's hair, pulling him down for a bruising kiss.

The blonde moans and shivers at the tingles exploding along his skin. Losing all his senses and prior concerns, Naruto sinks into Sasuke. His hand somehow finds its way into the raven's hair, while the other grips his hip for support. He unconsciously trails his hand up Sasuke's jeans, sneaking past the cloth and thumbing over the smooth skin he finds.

The heat of the raven's skin causes Naruto to break out into new chills, bringing him slightly to his senses. "Sasuke," he moans breathlessly and loosens his hold, "we shouldn't –" His protest is cut off with a quick nip to his bottom lip that then gets sucked between Sasuke's own.

The raven is not having any of Naruto's objections today. The hand that doesn't have a death grip on the back of the blonde's neck and hair pushes up his shirt to slide against tan skin. He ghosts his thumb over Naruto's nipple, ripping a groan from the blonde throat.

 _Oh God_ , is the only coherent thought Naruto can process before he leans back into the tempting demon. He already knows how to work Naruto into submission with just a few touches. Touches Naruto isn't even aware that he's into. Sasuke seems to know what to do though, as his hand continues to wreak havoc with the blonde's skin.

"Does this spell it out for you, dobe?" Naruto groans at the husky rhythm to Sasuke's voice, though the words don't make sense in his pleasure-induced haze. Sasuke drops his hand back to Naruto's waist and raises his leg slightly, brushing the inside of Naruto's leg.

The raven trails his mouth away from Naruto's lips and along the edge of his jaw. He disentangles his hand from the blonde's hair and rests it on his hip as well. Naruto whines out at the chills this causes, and he can feel the smirk playing on Sasuke's lips as the push into his skin

He continues trailing softly down his neck, before latching onto his pulse. At the same time, he pushes Naruto's hips down to grind into the raven's thigh. "I can make it more obvious, if you'd like." Naruto groans at the promise – or perhaps the threat – in Sasuke's voice.

Heat pools in the blonde's stomach and he fights to keep control over himself. "You're a fuckin' tease," Naruto mumbles through gritted teeth, trying very hard to keep the friction from increasing. He does not need to embarrass himself by getting off from _this_.

Sasuke catches Naruto's lips in a quick kiss, before leaning their foreheads together. "It's not a tease. Quit resisting." He moves his leg upward again, grinding into Naruto's prominent bulge. He continues a slow and agonizing rub against the blonde, whose patience snaps.

Lightly growling at the challenge in Sasuke's actions, Naruto presses a rough kiss against Sasuke's mouth, running his hand along the back of his neck and into his hair, gripping tightly and pulling him out of the kiss. Naruto smirks at the surprise on Sasuke's face, but he's quickly knocked down a peg when Sasuke returns his hand to Naruto's chest. Being none too gentle this time with the blonde, Naruto can't resist a moan and grinds himself against Sasuke wantonly.

The raven wraps his hand around Naruto's that has a grip on his hair, and silently persuades the blonde to let go. Taking both of Naruto's hands and raising them above his head, he pushes the blonde back while keeping him rocking against his leg. Sasuke gently starts to pull the blonde's shirt of, encountering no resistance.

Naruto shivers as air hits his bare skin, but it has nothing on the sensation that wracks through his body when Sasuke clasps his mouth – and teeth – around a terribly sensitive nipple. The blonde's not sure if he's always been this receptive, but goddamn if Sasuke doesn't draw it out.

Releasing a shaky breath that does nothing to calm him down, Naruto lays his head on Sasuke's shoulder. He can feel all his nerve-endings on fire, and he knows he's close. If he just moves like that a little more…

"Sasuke," Naruto whispers directly into Sasuke's ear by chance. The blonde hears a sharp intake of breath from the raven and a slight shiver runs through his shoulders. Before he can focus on this, Sasuke swipes his tongue over Naruto again, before biting down and sucking.

That is all Naruto needs. He moans and presses hard against Sasuke as he feels release sweep through his body. Breathing in a ragged breath, Naruto slumps against Sasuke. It feels like weeks' worth of stress and tension just melts from his body. He's not sure if he's ever been this comfortable and relaxed in his life, but he's willing to bet it's a no.

Sasuke languidly runs his hands down Naruto's back, before pressing them hard into his waist. "Off, dobe."

The blonde looks up disconcertedly. "Hmm?" He mumbles out dazedly, his brain still not processing much of anything past that orgasm.

"I need to get you clothes so you can take a shower." Oh, Naruto thinks hazily. A shower is a bit late. A cold one would have been nice after that first kiss, but at this point the blonde could care less. To hell with the mess in his jeans.

"Dobe," Sasuke states again, harsher this time.

Groaning, Naruto stands up. At which point he realizes he does need that shower. There's a very uncomfortable and increasingly disgusting wetness along his thigh. Sasuke gets up too, and disappears through the dining room, coming back quickly with a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"There's a bathroom through that hallway, at the end." Sasuke motions to an area off the living room before heading towards the staircase.

"Are you…" Naruto trails off, not sure what he wants to say. Not sure what there is to say. Thankfully, Sasuke seems to be able to come up with something.

"I'm going to take a shower, too. I'll be back down." Naruto watches the raven leave before blearily walking to his assigned bathroom. He's pleased with himself for gathering enough brainpower to function a foreign shower, and groggily goes through the motions of getting clean.

In fact, Naruto is so pleased with himself for even being able to do anything at all right now, that after he gets dried off and dressed, he passes out on the couch while waiting for Sasuke to come back.

* * *

Light streaming through the windows unwelcomingly rouses a dozing blonde. Naruto wraps his legs tightly around the fluffy pillow between his legs, pulling the blanket tighter around him. He just had the best sleep of his life. He murmurs contentedly into the cushion and allows himself to continue drifting in dreamland.

Sweet images and sitting next to someone fill his mind, but those quickly turn into ones of pressing against a raven. Naruto's eyes open wide at the intrusion, blinking away the thoughts. Why?...

Eyes becoming wide as saucers, memories of last night flood the blonde's mind. That is going to star in quite a few future daydreams, but that's hardly the problem. Naruto crossed a line with Sasuke. The blonde absolutely made a fool of himself in front of the last person he wanted to.

Cradling his head in his hands, Naruto groans at the entire situation. This is bad. Things are going to be difficult and awkward now. Naruto's head in reeling from how he threw himself at the raven. He's going to think so poorly of the blonde now.

"Naruto?" Sasuke's lilted voice comes from nearby. In panic, the blonde whips his head around towards the voice. The raven is coming down the stairs looking right as rain. Well, as right as Sasuke typically looks. Meaning, he has a passive expression etched into his face. This guy would be dangerous at poker.

For the first time in Naruto's life, he's at a total loss for words. What do you say to the guy you just grinded one off to? Naruto surely doesn't know, and he's not about to open his mouth and make a bigger mess of things.

Sasuke doesn't seem to have the same qualms this morning. Not missing a beat, he fills the silence. "Your clothes are on the table. Get yourself together and I'll make breakfast."

The clothes sit harmlessly on the table, but all Naruto can think of when he sees them are events of last night. Naruto groans and stands up, purging the thoughts and kicking off the tangled blanket from his waist. Where did that thing even come from, he grumbles mentally.

Thinking back on it, Naruto doesn't remember there being a blanket on the couch – or a pillow for that matter. Did Sasuke bring them after the blonde passed out? Naruto peers curiously into the dining room on his walk to the bathroom. If he's nice enough to do that, maybe he's not too upset.

Naruto ponders this thought as the hot water cascades down. There's something so cleansing about a good, hot scrub – not that any amount of scrubbing can help his conscious. Sasuke was not against what they did. Encouraged it, even. He said something last night, didn't he? It didn't make sense at the time. Unfortunately, Naruto didn't quite catch it at the time. Being a bit preoccupied and all.

More than that, the blonde can't figure out how he feels about the whole thing. Sure, it was great. That's a given. The issue lies with Naruto's insecurities about the situation. Is it safe to get involved with someone who you're into, but they don't like you back? Sasuke wouldn't even respond yesterday when asked about how he feels. That should be answer enough.

 _Does this spell it out for you, dobe?_ Naruto jolts momentarily; a quick memory filling his head. Phantom fingers brush along Naruto's skin as the words whisper in his head. It does, Naruto thinks timorously. It also makes things ten times harder. He doesn't know where to move from here. His position has been compromised, forcing him into a corner.

He has two options as far as he can see. He can go out there and tell Sasuke that cannot happen again – ensuring a strain on their relationship for the rest of the semester until the project is over. The other option being, he accepts that they can do this – this new physical part to their setup.

It's a terrifying concept. He can't deny anything at this point concerning sexuality, but he can still run from it if he wants. Understanding a situation and admitting to it are two different scenarios.

Only weaklings run away, though, Naruto thinks resolutely. If there is anything Uzumaki Naruto is not, it's a coward. Running away from problems does not suit him. He'll face them head on until he breaks down whatever walls are in his way.

He shuts off the shower and gets dressed quickly, wanting to get the following conversation over quickly. His nerve will only last him for so long; then self-preservation will kick in and talk him down from this.

"Alright," Naruto states quickly as he walks into the kitchen, "we are going to establish a few things about this whole –" Naruto waves his hand in a wide circle. "Thing. First, there will be no surprise grope sessions, understood?"

"No," Sasuke says simply as he plates a stack of pancakes.

"I – what?" Naruto reels. That cocky bastard can't just outright deny a request like that!

"Are you willing?" Sasuke asks, looking up from his task to take in the blonde. Naruto has to turn his gaze away from the serious expression, feeling the weight of Sasuke's words.

"Well," the blonde begins uncertainly. "Yeah, I am, obviously. I don't mind –"

"Then that's enough permission. I won't ask every time."

Naruto growls in frustration. The nerve! However, he can feel his cheeks heating up at the implications of those words. There will be more times. Probably just as unanticipated as last night – and Naruto will be damned if that isn't an insanely erogenous concept playing in his mind.

Not only that, but the raven is openly admitting that he wants to touch Naruto. A feat the blonde thought impossible for the stoic.

"Alright," Naruto concedes without much prodding. "But not in public. You're going to get us in trouble with your open spaces kink."

Sasuke lets out a small scoff that Naruto interprets as a small victory in his favor.

"That's pretty much it," the blonde says slowly, thinking it over. He's never been one to care for rules, so he's not about to purposefully bog himself down with them. He does have one more worry to state. "This is just physical, right? Not a relationship?"

"Not a relationship," Sasuke repeats sharply, no questioning in his tone.

Naruto nods in relief. That he can handle. Being in a relationship will drag unnecessary baggage into the whole mix. If people ask what's going on between them, he can truthfully answer that they're just friends. "With benefits" doesn't have to be added on.

The boys eat at the bar island; Naruto is hungrier than he thought and he could care less about chit chat. Sasuke is a fantastic cook, to no surprise. What can't he do? The blonde rolls his eyes. He's surprised that they can sit here so calmly together after everything. Perhaps he was just expecting this to all end in a fallout, but since it's settled smoothly, it feels a bit surreal. It's hard to believe that a text message started all this.

Speaking of that… "Teme, where is my phone?" He could have received an important message from someone, but would he know? Nope. Because that jerk is a sneaky thief.

Reaching into his pocket, Sasuke pulls out Naruto's glossy gold phone. "You didn't receive anything important."

Naruto will be the one to decide that, he thinks as he snatches his phone back. Scrolling through the messages, he can't say he disagrees. Ino blew up his phone for a little while after things happened, but there's not much he can do about that now.

"Did we accomplish all your homework last night?" Naruto looks up from his phone at the inquiry from the raven. He hopes to God they did. He mentally goes over his class schedule, and groans when he comes across an unfinished class.

"I still have three Japanese assignments."

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders. "We can get through them quickly."

Naruto scoffs. "I don't think you realize how much I dislike language learning."

Sasuke's smirk is almost playing on a smile. "We'll get it done, dobe."

Looking at that confident expression leaves no trace of doubt in Naruto. He can just hope that such confidence spills over into other aspects of their life.


	9. Relationships

**Authors Note :** Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I see that a lot of you find it rough how the relationship is playing out, but bear with it! The storm hasn't even hit yet, but we'll get through it (I promise). The boys are just trying to work through things as best as they can, without making things too stressful for themselves. I've mentioned this in an update on my Profile Page, but I'm going to try to post a new chapter every Monday. Given the proper motivation, I don't think this will be too difficult to achieve. November is NaNoWriMo, so I'm hoping to bust out another 50,000 words this coming month.

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 **Betas Note :** Whoop! Another chapter. I bet you guys are pretty happy we're getting them out faster now. AJ and I started talking about scenes for this chapter almost immediately after she posted 8. I hope you all enjoy the perverted humor we have strongly added. ❤

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 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse. **  
**

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

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 **Chapter 9 : Relationships**

* * *

The sunlight has no remorse for exhausted blondes; Naruto falls into his seat with no energy and drops his head onto the desk. If he could make one wish, it would be for a year-long sleep session. Human hibernation needs to be a thing.

Even though it's Monday morning, he's as tired as if it was already the end of the week. This weekend was not kind to him. Sasuke made him do the rest of his homework, as well as type up and submit the essays for the application. Then, when the Uchiha demon was satisfied Naruto was sufficiently miserable, he added on to it by making him fill out the other two applications. Albeit, they were much simpler. No recommendations or essays needed.

When he received his final recommendation from AJ on Sunday, he followed orders – from Sasuke, of course – to get it attached to the application as well. Then it was done. Naruto submitted the massive application and then spent the entire night fretting over it. Was everything done correctly? He checked it over a thousand times. All the essays were in the proper format, as well as the recommendations. It doesn't stop the nerves, though. Sleep was not easy to come by.

Naruto barely registers when someone quietly sits down in the seat next to him. He doesn't have the willpower to focus on socializing. Besides, it's probably just –

Opening his eyes quickly, Naruto turns his head to the side, immediately having his gaze held by onyx eyes. Of course, _he_ gets to look all refreshed and perfect. Stupid Uchiha's.

"Teme," Naruto greets his "friend" in utter dreariness. If there was any way to symbolize how Naruto feels at the moment, it would be a dreary storm cloud falling over just him. He can't even manage to be nervous or self-conscious about seeing this guy.

Sasuke sets a book on his desk, opening it to a bookmarked page before asking, "What's wrong?" If anyone else had asked Naruto that question with such a lack of interest, he would probably go off on him or her. That it is Sasuke – and he's even asking at all – warms over Naruto's cold, drained heart a bit.

"Tired," the blonde whines out, closing his eyes again. It also didn't help matters that Jiraiya took off on Saturday, leaving the house to Naruto. It's always difficult for him to sleep easy right after the old man leaves. Not to mention he'd been with Sasuke the night before. He's becoming too sensitive about being left alone.

A fit of giggling echoes into the classroom, drawing Naruto's attention towards the source. A group of girls are peeking into the classroom, ogling a certain raven.

Naruto snorts in amusement, casting a grin at Sasuke. They never give up, do they? It's even more humorous now that the blonde knows Sasuke's orientation. The deep scowl on the raven's face frankly says he does not find it funny. Usually, that level of venom would scare anyone away, but the girls ignore it and edge their way into the room.

One girl in particular steps up in front of the group. "Um, Sasuke," the shy redhead stutters out, twirling a strand of hair in her fingers. She refuses to take her eyes off the floor as she speaks. "I was wondering if – "

"No." Shot down immediately by the raven, Naruto winces in secondhand pain for the girl. The glare that's being leveled at the entire group is enough to make the blonde feel bad for them, but it's not as if the raven's reaction is out of the ordinary.

"Please, I just want – " she tries again before being cut off.

"Are you deaf?" This shuts the girl up with a bright blush. She quickly turns on her heels to exit the room, her entourage following her. Naruto's not sure he's ever seen this many girls glare at Sasuke in his life.

"What's up with that, teme? You could have heard her out."

Sasuke speaks to his book while answering Naruto. "If I'm expected to listen to every girl who comes around today, I'll be going home."

"Today? Why today in particular?"

Sasuke looks at Naruto like he's an idiot – what's new – but before he can answer, a mutt comes flying in. Slamming into his seat, he turns to Naruto excitedly. The blonde assumes he has something to say, but Kiba stops dead in his tracks at the look on Naruto's face.

"I have a bone to pick with you." Naruto lets out fiercely. "Why the hell would you sic Ino on me?"

Kiba shrugs his shoulders, apparently not grasping why Naruto is so angry. "She came with Shika to hang out with me and Hinata. She asked why you weren't around and I told her you were hangin' with him," Kiba nods to the disinterested raven next to Naruto.

The blonde sighs; he can't even hold onto anger right now with how exhausted he is. "It's alright, man. What's got you so excited?"

Kiba lights up like the fourth of July. "Hinata and I are going out for Valentine's day."

Naruto grins. "That's great!' He exclaims. As an afterthought, he adds, "When is Valentines?"

Kiba's whole face drops into an expression akin to Sasuke's earlier. "Tomorrow, Naruto. Where the hell have you been?"

Well, excuse me for having more important matters to attend to, Naruto thinks in aggravation. "Why would I pay attention to that?"

The raised eyebrow Kiba sends over the blonde's shoulder has him growling. Simultaneously, something clicks into place. The reason Sasuke's being bothered is due to that stupid holiday.

Turning back to the raven, Naruto looks at him incredulously. "You really get bothered by girls that much around this time?"

Sasuke scoffs in annoyance, not even bothering to justify that with an answer.

"It's gonna be a bloodbath at lunch," Kiba chuckles out. "You better hide, Sasuke."

Hide? Naruto tilts his head while he takes Sasuke in, thinking about the implications. Does it really get that bad? The blonde has never paid attention to Sasuke on his love life, always being concerned with Sakura in the past. Naruto's eyes widen as he realizes the reason Sakura asked the raven out a week ago; she was just trying to get a head start.

Sasuke isn't denying Kiba's statement, though, which worries Naruto. He won't get to see the raven at lunch at this rate.

"Teme," Naruto hurriedly pushes the words out, "come out to lunch with us."

"Us?" Sasuke says simply, not taking his eyes off that stupid book.

Naruto turns to Kiba, who shakes his head. "I'm eating with Hinata." God, he's so whipped already.

Rolling his eyes in mock annoyance, Naruto gives his attention to Sasuke again. "Me. We can go anywhere nearby."

The raven raises an eyebrow but hums out a small approval. Naruto beams a sunny smile at him, happy with the easy agreement.

Ignoring the snort of amusement he hears coming from Kiba's direction, Naruto nestles back into his seat, hoping for an easy ride.

* * *

Like that's possible. Naruto never pays much attention to it, but he and Sasuke tend to walk to their early classes together. Their lockers are close, is all. The sheer number of girls that have tried to get his attention by lunch is insane. The blonde is more than ready to kidnap Sasuke and get away from the hordes for a while. This is why he's leaning against a set of lockers outside the AP Calculus room, waiting for the raven to be dismissed.

When the bell does ring, students come pouring into the hallway, happy to be released for an hour. Catching sight of Sasuke languidly coming from the room, Naruto's heart jolts. This is the first time he's actively pursued the boy for any reason.

"Hey," the blonde says casually, pushing off the locker and taking a step forward. There's a hint of surprise on the raven's face fleetingly. He smooth's it down with indifference, but Naruto knows he's done something unexpected.

Whether that's a good thing or not, he has no idea.

Walking in step with Sasuke to his locker, they get a few glances from other students. Naruto doesn't think too much of it; Sasuke has been a hot topic all day. "Did you decide where we're going?" The blonde leans against the locker next to Sasuke's, waiting for him to finish.

"A restaurant a few blocks from the school." Sasuke shuts his locker and nods for Naruto to follow him, but out of nowhere, a girl pops up next to him. She doesn't even get a chance to say anything before Sasuke sidesteps her with a glare.

Naruto shakes his head in slight pity. This is how it's been all morning. Girls coming out of the woodwork to ask the raven out. Each time, he blatantly ignores the girls. You would think after several of them see someone being rejected, they would all stop trying. Not these persistent ladies, though.

Part of Naruto is thrilled that he rejects them. Sasuke shows absolutely no interest in any of the girls that come up. Of course, this is due to him actually not being interested. Who knows if it would be the same way if some guys asked him. On that note, the blonde worries that Sasuke would turn him away too if he flat out asked.

Making it out to the parking lot in a timely manner is damn near impossible. Since when have that many girls even gone to this school? More than anything, Naruto is starting to get angry. They are cutting into his lunch break. He could be stuffing his face right now, but instead he's fighting through groups of delusional chicks. Why are they so infatuated with the raven? His looks are damn good, but there's no reason to throw yourself at someone who so harshly turns everyone down.

Well, Naruto is guilty of that too, he thinks sheepishly. He did it for years. Someone really should have told him to chill out sooner. He might have even been able to discover a thing or two about himself years ago if he had.

After refusing to get in Naruto's jeep, Sasuke drives them to a little corner diner not far from the school. Naruto can't get over how bright the whole place is; the windows go from the floor to the ceiling around the entire storefront.

The second thing Naruto can't get over is the sheer volume of chicks in line. "Sasuke, do you feel like maybe we were followed here?" Naruto glances nervous at the large number of girls crowding into the restaurant. Naruto has never been here before, so he can't exactly comment on their typical clientele. He's sure it's not all females, though.

Sasuke rolls his eyes and ignores the question. "Order something, dobe."

"Oh," Naruto chuckles sheepishly and turns back to the cashier. "Just a burger, fries, and a coke." Simple, classic, and American.

Sasuke follows up with his own order, and moves to pay for it before Naruto can shoo him away. "I got it, teme. I invited you." Naruto gives him a shy smile before giving the cashier the money for both meals. After receiving his receipt, the friendly cashier informs them that they can take a seat and their food will be out shortly.

"Here." Sasuke sits down in the back of the restaurant in a row that doesn't have anyone else in it. Judging from the glare that has been plastered to his face all day, Sasuke is tired of being hounded. Which is why when Naruto sees a pinkette and her blonde friend walk through the door, his eyes widen in fear.

There's no way they won't come over here. It'll be bad if Ino says anything about him and Sasuke being together in front of Sakura. Hell, just being seen together is bad! Naruto has become far too lax in his pursuit of not going public with the raven; he didn't even think about the repercussions of taking him out to lunch. He just wanted to hang out with him.

"Um, Sasuke," Naruto starts, but before he can continue, his fate has already been sealed. Ino seems to be purposefully searching the restaurant for someone, and when her sight falls on Naruto, her gaze narrows. Raising an eyebrow, she gives Naruto a very pointed look that just screams "busted".

"We're gonna have company in a moment." Naruto lets out a heavy sigh, watching Sasuke raise an eyebrow but not question the situation. The raven probably already knows who it is. He only has the one true stalker, as far as Naruto knows.

That stalker has now spotted them too, and is on her way over. Naruto sighs again and leans back in his chair, waiting for the oncoming storm.

"Hey, Sasuke. I didn't know you'd be here." Sakura says brightly as she stands next to Sasuke's chair. Ino is at her side, though she's not paying attention to any of them. Her eyes are on the menu.

"There's no reason you should." Sasuke doesn't even offer her a glare. Just ignores her physical presence as if a ghost was speaking to him.

Naruto groans mentally and wishes he could bang his head on the table. He's going to hear about this later from Ino. Why did he even give that girl his number?

Sakura laughs nervously and pushes some hair behind her ear, trailing her gaze on the floor. "I was wondering if you had reconsidered about going out with me tomorrow." She looks at the raven with hopeful eyes. "It won't be a waste of your time, I promise."

"He can't," Naruto interrupts quickly before Sasuke can even speak for himself. Three sets of startled eyes fall on him, though the only ones that concern him are the richest shade of black. "We've already made study plans for tomorrow. It's the only day we're both available, so he can't just cancel. Right, Sasuke?" Throughout this entire little ramble, Sasuke holds Naruto's gaze.

The blonde has never felt his pulse beat in his throat so hard or quick in his life. He's not even sure for whose benefit he's doing this – Sasuke's, to get him out of having to deny another date, or Sakura's, so she doesn't get rejected again.

Or his own; because for some reason, it frustrates him to no end that Sakura won't leave Sasuke alone. Naruto wants to show that he's the one Sasuke is comfortable being around. Not anyone else. It's such a possessive thought, and it startles Naruto.

"You can't just make that decision for yourself, Naruto." Sakura says impatiently, stamping her foot once. "Sasuke can decide – "

"Study plans or not, I want nothing to do with you outside of school." Finally, Sasuke turns his glare onto her. The pinkette shrinks back a bit, finally seeming to take in his mood. "You're annoying."

Sakura doesn't have a chance to reply, as the moment these words leave Sasuke's mouth, Ino grabs her arm and pulls her away, shooting a nasty glare of her own at the raven.

"That went well," Naruto rolls his eyes with all manners of sarcasm intended.

"Since when do you decide my schedule?"

Naruto shrugs his shoulders sheepishly, a blush covering his cheeks. "I just thought I'd help out."

Sasuke scoffs and rolls his eyes, but doesn't seem honestly irritated. He doesn't have time to prove that though, as their food comes. Naruto's stomach growls in approval. He skipped breakfast this morning from laziness. He didn't have the energy to make anything.

He happily starts digging into his food, zoning out from everything else. There's nothing better than a good old-fashioned burger, and the chefs here have got talent – or he could be starving to the point cardboard would taste like a five star meal. Either way, he's a happy little blonde.

Absentmindedly, his attention is dragged to the warm beams of sun shining through the windows. They really do allow everything to be viewed. Including a group of girls standing outside, staring him down. When they see they have his attention, they excitedly point to a large white poster-board one girl is holding. They push her and say something inaudible to Naruto's ears, but the girl nods and turns the sign around. The girls break out in huge smiles, and some start giggling.

"Sasuke," Naruto reads inattentively, "I can make your bed rock." Naruto tilts his head to the side, the words not sinking in. The blonde hears a loud coughing fit coming from a different table, and looks over to see Ino choking on laughter. Sakura smacks her arm and unintelligibly begins berating her.

"Dobe." The tone to Sasuke's voice draws Naruto's attention to the raven, who is staring at him in complete disbelief. What did Naruto do to earn that level of shock from him? It's almost unheard of for Sasuke to show emotion past raising an eyebrow; to see him with wide eyes is a new experience.

Unsure of what he said that caused it, Naruto looks at the sign again. The girls are still there, giggling and smiling. Reading over the words again with a clear, undistracted mind makes the blonde blow a fuse. Oh God, did he really read that out loud to Sasuke?

"I didn't say it!" He bellows out in despair. "Well, I did," he pushes out quickly, "but I didn't mean it! It's a sign, teme! A sign!" Naruto can tell he's not getting through to Sasuke from the evil smirk playing on his lips. As if Naruto would be that forward with him!

"Turn around, you jerk!" Naruto points wildly to the window. "That was _not_ my idea."

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders. "I don't care about anything behind me. You though, shouldn't make promises you can't keep."

"Shut up, teme! I didn't mean it like that!" The blush on Naruto's cheek is to a startling shade of red at this point. "And it wasn't a promise, anyway!"

"We'll see," is the confident remark from the raven. Naruto stares at him disbelievingly, jaw practically on the ground.

"Arrogant teme! It's not like that." Naruto is pouting at this point, the shock draining the last of his energy. All these girls around today are going to give him a heart attack. "We need to be getting back."

Thankfully, Sasuke doesn't argue with him. They both stand up to leave, and on their way out, Naruto swears he sees Ino smirk at him. She seems to be a lot less angry about things than he imagined she would.

It's a quiet ride back to the school. For Sasuke it's due to being a natural stoic. Naruto on the other hand is still stewing in mortification. He really has to pay better attention to his surroundings.

"What class do you have after lunch?" Naruto asks randomly, just as something to break the silence.

"Criminology."

"Really?" Naruto is surprised by this. "I didn't even know we had specialized classes like that. What do you learn?"

"Crime related theories. Case studies. Laws, Punishments, and Processes."

"Uh-huh," Naruto mumbles out, not processing a bit of that.

Sasuke rolls his eyes, a small smirk still on his lips. "What are you doing after 6th period?" His mood seems to become serious once more as he pulls into the school parking lot.

"Huh?" Naruto is confused by the abrupt change in subject, but answers the question anyway. "I don't know. I have to practice at 3:30, but I have a free hour till then."

"Come to the library. It will be easier to stay caught up on your homework if you do it every day, rather than waiting till the end of the week like an idiot."

"I do my homework during the week!" The blonde sputters out indignantly as he pushes open his door, returning to the sharp, cold air.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Only what's due. The rest you put off."

Naruto doesn't have a retort for that. Who actually does assignments before they're due? Other than over-achieving Uchiha's. The blonde isn't going to argue about getting an hour of help with one of the school's top students, though. "Which library?"

"The East library is closest to the field." Sasuke pulls open the door to the school, waiting for Naruto to walk through before following.

"Alright," Naruto says reservedly, "I'll be there."

* * *

Libraries have never been a fond place for Naruto. They're quiet, dark from a lack of windows, and filled with musty books. None of which the blonde enjoys. Today though, he's pleased to be heading to one.

His head feels like it's going to burst. His energy has depleted to zero, and he wants a quiet place to rest. Sasuke can't even make him do homework, because none of his classes gave him any. The teachers of Kasai are evil masterminds; they'll wait till tomorrow to load on the work, when kids think they're going to be out on dates and get to blow everything off.

Walking into the library, Naruto spots his target immediately. The raven is sitting at a table pushed against the wall, with only two chairs. As he gets closer, he's a little shocked to see Sasuke's current state. The raven looks to be about as exhausted as Naruto.

"What's up, teme? You don't look so hot." Naruto sets his bag down on the table, taking a seat next to Sasuke.

The raven scowls. "I'm ready to go home. Not even sure it's worth coming tomorrow."

Naruto raises an eyebrow. "Why? Is the actual day worse?"

Sasuke nods his head curtly. "Had girls try to follow me home last year."

"Jesus," that's horrifying. "How did you manage?" The more Naruto learns about this guy's life, the more he feels for him. Having a fan-base can be creepy.

"I mislead them, though I don't think it's worth it this year."

Naruto ponders this new information. If Sasuke doesn't come tomorrow, then he'll go all day without seeing him. However, after seeing things today, he can't blame Sasuke for not wanting to come. "Teme," the blonde begins uncertainly, "if you want, you can come over to my place. We can do the assignment there instead of at Java's and I live in the middle of nowhere. I doubt any girls are going to try following me home."

Sasuke raises a perfectly arched eyebrow. "Won't your guardian have an issue with that?"

Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "The old man took off during the weekend. I've got the house to myself indefinitely. You'll have to wait for me to finish practice, but if you're cool with that…"

Sasuke scoffs slightly, but smirks at the blonde. "Should I plan to be staying the night?"

"Of course not!" Naruto huffs. "I'm just saving your ass till it's dark and you can go home safely."

"Sure, dobe." Seeming to remember the reason they're even in the library together, Sasuke's eyes narrow at the blonde. "Where's your homework?"

"I have none!" Naruto states in honest joy. "Teachers are going easy today, to screw everyone over tomorrow. So, I get to nap."

"Why'd you come here then?"

"I told you I would, didn't I? I don't mind just hanging out." Naruto shrugs his shoulders, propping his head up on one arm and looking at Sasuke. Despite looking completely worn out, the raven is still gorgeous. There must be something in his genes that allow for 24/7 appeal.

"Dobe." Naruto's eyes shift upwards at the insult – or nickname, at this point – to be held by Sasuke's. Without any warning, and no time to pull back, Sasuke moves forward slightly and tilts his head down, catching Naruto's lips in a chaste kiss.

Carelessly, Naruto closes his eyes and leans into the kiss, the familiar tingles bursting in his stomach at the simple touch. He's tried hard to not think about this part of their relationship without reason; he doesn't want to walk around all day thinking of Sasuke in a carnal way and making things difficult.

The situation changes a bit when the temptation is directly offering itself. Sasuke runs a hand on Naruto's jawline, cupping him tightly and turning the kiss from something simple to more sensual. The blonde moans quietly into Sasuke's mouth, melting into the touch. God, why would he ever deny this? There's no reason –

Startled, Naruto pulls back and glances around crazily. When he doesn't see anyone else in the library, the fuming blonde turns a glare onto Sasuke. "I told you, no public places!" He whispers with as much force as he can muster. "One rule, teme! And you're already breaking it."

"You weren't resisting." This arrogant, haughty bastard.

"I was confused." Yeah, because that makes Naruto sound better in this situation. Getting confused just because an attractive guy happens to kiss him. Says a lot about his character.

Naruto sighs and lets his head fall onto the table. He's out of his mind from exhaustion, is all. It's the only reason he's letting his guard down to such an extent today. After practice, he'll go get some much needed sleep. So long as he doesn't get killed during training by a rogue ball to the head.

No accidents or fatalities occurred during soccer practice, thankfully, and Naruto managed to get home and crash out by five.

* * *

The real problem arises the next morning. The blonde wakes from a refreshing ten hour sleep, feeling more anxious with each minute that passes in the early morning. Thoughts of yesterday start dancing in his mind, and certain activities come to the forefront. He invited Uchiha Sasuke over to his house. Sasuke said yes. Sasuke will likely be in this room later this evening…

Oh no. He can't. Naruto bolts out of bed, frantically looking around his room. As per usual, it appears a tornado made a house call to the large space. Sorting clothes has never been Naruto's strong suit. He prefers just to toss everything – clean or dirty – on the floor. He'll figure out later which one it is; it's like a game.

Scrambling around the room in a rush, Naruto starts tossing everything into the baskets hidden in his closet. There's no way he's going to bother sorting them now. They can all be washed again later. Getting them off the floor is good enough. Honestly, he just plans to keep the studying in the living room, but chances will not be taken. Things never go according to plan where Sasuke is involved, and he doesn't need to have the raven making remarks about his filthy room.

Or a filthy house; once he gets his room straightened out, he grabs his phone and hurriedly rushes downstairs to make sure the main rooms are in good order. Since Jiraiya just left on Saturday, the place hasn't been torn apart by Naruto yet in the short time span.

Groaning, the blonde lays down on the couch, reaching for the remote to find something to entertain himself with for the next few hours – and distract himself. He never invites people to his place; it's too far out to expect anyone to want to drive when they could hang out in town.

Besides, it's not as if Naruto really has anything worthwhile to do out here. He considers it home, but it's primarily Jiraiya's. Naruto doesn't want to do anything that might annoy his guardian, such as having a rowdy friend – Kiba, per se – come over and damage something.

The house is littered with Japanese antiques. They're Jiraiya's pride and joy; one of the few reminders he has of his homeland. If anything were accidentally to be broken, Naruto would feel wholly responsible. He doesn't think Sasuke will be a problem, though. The guy only makes necessary movements.

Well, unless he's seducing innocent little blondes. Then he does a whole lot of unneeded actions. Naruto groans into the pillow bolstering his chest. He is not allowing this evening to get out of hand. Just because he's accepted a physical relationship doesn't mean he wants nothing but physical. He's beginning to feel like there's a large gap between his understanding of the situation, and the actual situation. There's a large amount of problems with this that he's not working through, and he'll likely keep it that way.

He can't change what's been done, that much he's sure of. Many things have been said and done these last few weeks, none of which the blonde regrets. He certainly worries about them, though.

He's never done this before with anyone – guy or girl. The first person he happens to get involved with is none other than Uchiha Sasuke; his long-time rival and competition in love. And how what is he supposed to be? Naruto feels like he asks this question a lot these days.

The answer never ceases to elude the blonde. Friends – sometimes a bit more – doesn't seem to quit cover everything the blonde feels, but it'll have to do. He's not going to push himself or Sasuke further than necessary. The raven apparently doesn't believe in relationships, and Naruto…

Well, the blonde isn't up for incurring the wrath of his peers, or anyone else for that matter. He's not a blind fool. He knows how society views these sorts of things. Ostracizing himself just as he's about to enter the adult world is not on his agenda.

No matter how much he's into a guy, he can't see a stable and accepted future for them. He can't see happily ever after. Hell, he can't even see them going out on a single date without worrying what people will think, let alone spending their lives together. He hates that he lets the views of others so easily sway his course of action, but he will not make his life harder than it has to be. He's admitted to himself that he wants Sasuke, and that more than enough. He doesn't have to admit it to the world like he did with a certain pinkette.

Sasuke is already in another league from that crush. This one is… Real.

There's something about the way Sasuke handles their situation that keeps the blonde enthralled. Half dates, spending the night, unfair PDA. It's all so new and remarkably addictive. Even though he's sure to regret going about things in this way later, for now he's content to let it be.

A sharp, screeching noise is penetrating the blonde's skull, causing him to bolt up from his painful position on the couch. Finding the source of the noise to be his phone's main alarm, he snatches it up and ends the alert. This is not how he wanted to be woken up a second time. He rubs a hand over his sleep hazed eyes, before stumbling to his feet. Might as well take a shower and get going.

By the time he reaches his homeroom, he can fully appreciate why Sasuke wanted to skip today. In fact, given the four different groups of girls that are huddled about near the classroom, Naruto has half a mind to send the raven a text to just bail.

Walking into the classroom, he sees that would be pointless. Sasuke is already seated in his usual spot. He doesn't even bother to look up when Naruto comes in, so he can't be too concerned about the girls. If he is, he doesn't show it.

"Teme, you need to reduce your fan base." Sasuke scoffs but otherwise remains unfazed to the blonde's presence.

"Think it'll be easy to get out of here later?" Naruto muses out loud, pondering the thought more for his benefit than Sasuke's.

"I drove a different vehicle today; they won't know to wait around."

This catches Naruto by surprise. "I didn't know you owned more than one car." As if that Camaro isn't enough.

"It's my brothers."

"Oh," Naruto says simply. "Is it okay for you to be driving it, then?"

"He shouldn't have left the keys." Naruto snorts at the unimpressed answer from the raven, falling back in his seat and stretching.

"Have you ever said yes to someone on Valentine's Day?" Naruto's not sure why he's asking; it's not like it matters.

Sasuke must agree, as he ignores the question. Not like Naruto really expected an answer, but it does get him thinking. Sasuke agreeing to come over to his house is sort of… Special, isn't it? He could just as easily rebuffed Naruto's offer, preferring to hide from his fans on his own time.

Naruto tilts his head to the side and watches Sasuke with half-lidded eyes. Somehow, it doesn't feel like he's the only one that's more invested in this than necessary. The raven's just better at hiding it. Yet, he still does so many things for the blonde that break his usual stoic character.

Naruto closes his eyes and lets out a hard sigh; he may never know exactly what Uchiha Sasuke is thinking.

* * *

"Are you even paying attention?" Sasuke's irritated voice cuts through his daydreaming, drawing Naruto's eyes to view an angry raven.

"Not really," the blonde states cheekily, enjoying the scowl that covers Sasuke's face. Naruto's about to push his luck further, but his attention is interrupted. His bag is angrily vibrating, demanding attention.

Pulling out his phone, he's informed that Kiba is calling him. Narrowing his eyes at the display name, he swipes to answer and moves to exit the library momentarily.

"What's up, mutt?" Naruto half-whispers as he nears the doors, quickly stepping into the hallway.

"Hey man, I just thought I should mention to you again that we're not doing practice today. I told you during homeroom but you seemed pretty zoned out. I was just leaving and saw your car still parked here. Figured you're waiting around." Naruto pulls his phone from his ear and incredulously glares at it. He could have been heading home thirty minutes ago.

"Dammit, Kiba."

"Hey, it's not my fault you don't listen. Just be happy I even thought to remind you again."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto mutters out. He perks up a bit when he remembers exactly why it is that nobody wants to practice today. "Have fun with Hinata, yeah?"

Kiba laughs and Naruto can just imagine the happy blush covering his face. "You too, man."

"Eh?" Confusion colors Naruto's voice. "I don't have a date."

"Bullshit. Who are you with right now?"

"Sasuke…" The blonde replies slowly, trailing off questioningly.

Kiba hums in appreciation. "And what are your plans tonight?"

"He's coming over to study."

"Study. _Right_." Naruto growls at the sarcastic tone to his friends voice, who does nothing but laugh at him. "I'm glad you guys are getting along, really. Now go have a good night, okay?"

Naruto snorts and rolls his eyes. "Later, man." Hanging up the phone, the blonde turns back to the library, muttering about meddling mutts. If only Kiba knew everything that's going on right now.

"Hey, there's no practice tonight. You want to move this to my place?" Sasuke closes his textbook, and Naruto moves to put his own away. They haven't gotten too far into their session, making clean up quick and easy. Naruto practically bounces out of the school, thrilled to be going home early.

"It's about twenty or so minutes to get to my place right now. The roads are still a bit icy." Naruto slings his bag over his shoulder as they walk out the main doors. "Be careful, okay?"

Sasuke scoffs at the blonde and rolls his eyes as he diverges from the blonde's path. Naruto watches as he walks over to an unfamiliar car, pulling out a set of keys and beeping the doors unlocked.

"That's your brother's car?" Naruto stares in disbelief, watching Sasuke pull open the door to a maroon Mustang.

Sasuke doesn't grace him with an answer, probably figuring it to be obvious. "Lead the way, dobe."

Naruto takes the drive slow; his jeep can handle more but he doesn't want to chance that sports car following him. The owner of it probably wouldn't be too thrilled if it were wrecked.

They wind their way along the back road for several miles with no problems, but when they come to the uphill drive leading to Naruto's house, it gets rough. The ice on the gravelly pavement can be treacherous. Even Naruto's wheels want to start spinning.

The blonde lets out a breath of air when they clear the drive with no accidents. He'll be happy to get parked and inside. He opens the garage, parking the jeep and stepping out into the frigid garage. He motions for Sasuke to park inside as well, before stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"God, it's freezing," the blonde mutters through gritted teeth. "Let's get inside, yeah?" Naruto leads them down the covered porch to the front doors, attempting to unlock it despite his shaking hands. Why does this have to be the coldest day of the year?

Finally managing to get it open, Naruto nearly falls inside with relief. "We'll hang out in the living room." The blonde nervously glances at Sasuke, who in turn is taking in his new surroundings. It's been awhile since Naruto invited anyone over, causing nerves to swell up in his stomach. Is it a good enough place in Sasuke's eyes? The entire place has a very Japanese feel to it; being a wood frame house with plenty of stone pillars and arches supporting the structure.

Of course, Sasuke also lives in a mini castle. The blonde doubts much at all will impress the boy.

Naruto leads the way, expertly moving from hallway to hallway. For a guest, it might seem like a bit of a labyrinth to find where you're going. A long hallway connects the foyer to the dining and entertainment room, and Jiraiya's bedroom and study to the right. To the left, it attaches to another little hallway; this one has the kitchen to the right, and the living room to the left.

There's also a small sitting room and the laundry space, and the staircase leading up to the second floor. Though it seems boxed off, much of the dining room has sliding panel doors, allowing the space to be transformed into an open area. Naruto always keeps the panel between the kitchen and the dining room open to allow the light to shine in.

"I'm gonna set up the kotatsu, so give me a second, okay?" Sasuke takes a seat in the large armchair and watches the blonde move to the closet at the front of the room, pulling out an enormous blanket. "Jiraiya is so spoiled on mixing traditional things with more modern ways," Naruto huffs out as he drags the blanket to the middle of the room, tossing it onto the couch. "He loves a good kotatsu table, but doesn't like sitting on the floor. So he bought these," Naruto points to a set of chairs that sit on the ground, tucked neatly next to the table. "They provide cushion, but you get to sit on the floor!" He exclaims happily. "And they have back support."

The blonde comes around the couch to bend over the kotatsu, taking off the top frame and leaning it against the wall momentarily. "They're wonderful things, but such a pain to set up." He grabs the blanket and begins organizing it over the table, nitpicking about the length along each side. When he has it the way he wants it, He carefully sets the top frame back down, securing the blanket in place with its weight.

"Okay, teme! We can get started now." Naruto beams at the raven, who scoffs and rolls his eyes.

"It takes you this long to get prepared to study every day?" Sasuke moves from his seat to come around to the kotatsu, taking a set across from Naruto.

"Nah, it's usually already put together. Jiraiya put it away before he left, and this is the first time I've used it since I came back." The blonde reaches under the table to turn the heater on, a shiver of joy running down his back when the first blast of heat hits.

"We're doing Assignment 11, focusing on Relationships." Sasuke's voice cuts into Naruto's fleeting happiness. "It appears this would go under the same chapter as Attraction."

Naruto scoffs. "What chapter? That laidback teacher didn't even give us any resources."

"Question one," the raven begins without taking Naruto's whining into account, "what defines a relationship?"

"Isn't it just two people that get along with each other, in some way? Doesn't matter if it's platonic or romantic or sexual or anything else. Two people interacting is a relationship of some sort."

"Yes. A relationship is held between two people that have frequent contact with each other. It can be familial, professional, personal, antagonistic or romantic. These different categories can be combined and crossed, creating more complex relationships among individuals."

 _Kind of like how we crossed academic with personal_ , Naruto notes earnestly. "Question two, how do relationships shape our lives?" Well, how don't they? Naruto scrunches his forehead, thinking of how to answer this in a conclusive way.

"Relationships hold control over our lives, in that everyone can shift the way we handle things. The relationships with your families, your peers, your colleagues. They all influence the way most people lead their lives, and the actions they choose to do."

"Even you?" Naruto watches the expression on Sasuke's face harden; a glare from the raven being sent his way.

"I might not care for the opinions of those around me, but I wouldn't say they don't affect me. Question three," Sasuke starts before Naruto can press the topic, "what makes a relationship succeed?"

"Just getting along and understanding each other, yeah? I think that as long as you put in the effort to be open and honest with the people in your life, you'll get good things in return, and a successful relationship built with that person." This is how Naruto has tried to lead his life since a young age, when he discovered that if you let your anger and hurt control how you respond to people, you'll get the same in return.

"Both parties have to be on the same page. Just because you want to be understanding, doesn't mean the other person will." For some reason, Naruto feels like Sasuke is talking about a relationship close to home. The raven doesn't seem like the type to be understanding of other people; for lack of a better word, he is selfish. Though Naruto knows he's not selfish in a way meant to be harmful. Sasuke is simply protecting himself in whatever way he feels comfortable doing so.

"Alright, four. What is your cultural perspective on relationship?" Naruto's voice lilts by the time he finishes reading, not sure what this is supposed to mean. He looks over to Sasuke, hoping he'll have an answer.

"Every culture has a different view on how you handle your relationships. Western cultures tend to be more lax, as opposed to Eastern cultures. Here in the U.S, it is not uncommon to develop personal friendships with your colleagues, or even romantic relationships."

"I'm still not really sure how to answer that…" Naruto trails off. "So, I'm going to change cultural to personal. My personal perspective on relationships is that, if they're good and healthy, then the more the merrier. I know people say quality not quantity, and of course that's true, but it doesn't hurt to have lots of great relationships in varying levels of closeness."

"I prefer to keep the relationships in my life at a minimum. They do not aid me, and are not necessary."

"That's such a lonely way of thinking, teme. Having people around that you like is supposed to be a good thing."

"There are few people that I like." Sasuke's harsh gaze softens a bit. "I already spend my time with who I want to."

"Really?" Naruto perks up. That's great that the teme has someone he actually likes being around. "Who is it?"

Sasuke sighs exasperatedly. "You're an idiot."

"Uncalled for, teme." Naruto resists sticking his tongue out. Why is he an idiot for wanting to know who Sasuke spends his time with? Other than himself, Naruto can't think of –

Oh. A blush creeps along his cheeks as realization hits him. "I like spending my time with you, too." The words are barely above a whisper, and Sasuke doesn't respond but Naruto knows the words hit. Sasuke's face sharpens back into that scowl that the blonde is learning to be his 'I'm moved by what you said but won't admit it' face.

"Last question, dobe. What do you expect out of a relationship?"

"Honesty," Naruto answers quickly and simply. He doesn't even have to think about that. "It doesn't matter what type of relationship it is. I just want everyone in my life to be upfront and honest with me. I hate being lied to or led around in circles."

Sasuke nods in agreement. "I agree with that. I also demand a respect for privacy and distance." The leveled glare the raven sends to Naruto has him rolling his eyes.

"Aye aye, captain, I'll try to remember that. Though you need to learn a bit about distance yourself."

Sasuke scoffs. "Physical distance and mental distance are two separate things. You can get in my bed, but stay out of my life."

"Ouch," Naruto places a hand over his heart, feigning dejection. "So harsh, teme, I might cry." Naruto rolls his eyes. "Unfortunately for you, I want those terms switched around. Your bed can wait," he says with pointed force, "but I would definitely like to be a part of your life."

"I've let you in enough." The raven mutters insolently. "Don't push your luck."

Naruto grins at the raven brat. It's been awhile since they bickered so casually. The blonde didn't realize he was missing it.

"What homework do you still have to do?"

Naruto groans in frustration. Sasuke is already getting more homework out. Doesn't he ever take a break? "Let me get dinner started, okay? Then we can keep going." Naruto moves to stand, but stops halfway and glances down at the raven. "You are staying for dinner, right?"

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders. "No reason not to."

"Great! Are you cool with fish? I can bake some and make rice and some sort of veggie." At the nod from Sasuke, Naruto heads to the kitchen to start preparing everything. Hanging out with the raven the last couple of weeks has given Naruto more knowledge with cooking for two. He rarely has Jiraiya around to make meals for, and cooking for yourself just doesn't hold the same excitement as doing it for someone else.

Surprisingly, Sasuke is really easy to cook for. He doesn't argue with anything Naruto suggests to cook. The blonde has a slight suspicion that he doesn't like sweets either, but he never refuses them at the café. He's hard to pin down – either he doesn't care at all, or he's polite towards chefs.

"Wanna help me with Japanese?" Naruto calls out as he walks back to the living room. "Noriko-sensei gave us two assignments that go together."

Sasuke nods his head, not taking his eyes off his current work.

Naruto plops back down into his seat, dredging up his books from his bag. "Why do you study so much?" He asks in earnest. There's no way he need to. He picks up on things so quickly, that the homework isn't even necessary.

"It's required, dobe."

"You have one of the best grades in the school."

"Which has to be maintained, or it'll drop."

"Please," Naruto snorts in disbelief. "I don't think anything could make your grade drop, teme."

"Unlike yours." Sasuke's mouth tugs up in a slight smirk, making the blonde grin.

"Alright, then. Let's do some Japanese." For the next twenty minutes, Sasuke forces the blonde to memorize kanji and work them into functional sentences. He can't complain though; if he'd done this alone, it would have taken hours. For the most part, Sasuke gives him the correct sentences.

"We can do math after dinner," Naruto drops his pencil and flexes his fingers. "Not during." He adds sternly.

Sasuke rolls his eyes but doesn't argue. "Is that all you have?"

"Yeah," Naruto stands up slowly, stretching out as he does. "Kashi didn't give anything in History, there was a test in Lit, and Kurenai was nice and didn't give us anything in Physics." Naruto heads back to the kitchen as he lists off his classes. He will not tolerate burnt food due to homework. That would be a sin.

The fish is cooking well, needing just a few more minutes to brown before being taken out to cool. In the meantime, Naruto starts to get water boiling for the rice, as well as throwing some vegetables together to steam.

It's while he's standing at the counter, mixing the carrots with the rest of his selection that he gets the prickly of being watched. He makes to turn and look over his shoulder, but a startled gasp is torn from his throat before he can.

Hands are trailing up from his lower thighs, finding their way to his hips. Upon reaching their destination, Naruto is firmly pulled flush against a hard chest. He tilts his head back to lean against a smirking ravens shoulder. Anger flashes in Naruto's eyes; how many times does this guy plan to manhandle him at inconvenient times?

Naruto would voice this question if not for any chance of talking being cut off. One of Sasuke's hands leaves its perch on Naruto's hip to hold his jaw, keeping him tilted upwards and available to be caught in a kiss.

The blonde falls hook, line, and sinker for Sasuke's kisses every time, any annoyance melting with the press of lips. Naruto shifts against the raven, aligning himself properly for deepening the raven's hold on him. Why does this boy's mouth have to feel so right, Naruto dimly thinks while languidly moving his lips along Sasuke's.

Naruto pushes himself up on his toes, wanting more of the raven's mouth. The blonde feels Sasuke's mouth tug at the corners, smirking before running his tongue along Naruto's bottom lip. Welcomingly, the blonde opens his mouth, allowing the raven to do as he pleases.

Faintly, Naruto acknowledges Sasuke's hand moving against his hip and caressing his stomach, but he's not prepared for the raven to dip his hand into the waistband of his jeans and fully cup him.

As if electricity is jolted through his body, Naruto shudders at the spontaneous touch. With the sensation of having a hand other than his own on him, his eyes grow wide in shock and the blonde gasps and pulls forward. Too late, he realizes this is a bad idea. His action causes Sasuke's hand to smooth out and brush upwards along his sensitive skin. Groaning in shock, the blonde reels backwards again, grinding into Sasuke's hips with the force.

This time it's Sasuke who lets out a light moan, gripping Naruto's hips and holding him tightly against his body. "Dobe," the raven's voice is low and painfully close to Naruto's ear. "Are you trying to push the situation?"

"No," the blonde squawks out in an indignant whine. "I'm trying to get away but no direction is safe!" Sasuke's hand is still dangerously close to putting them back in an indecent situation – but short of ripping it away, he's stuck.

Sasuke runs his nose along Naruto's shoulder and into the juncture of his neck, causing Naruto to shiver. Sasuke places a barely noticeable kiss on the blonde's neck before pulling away, removing his hand in the process.

Naruto breathes in a deep breath at the empty space, not sure if he's thankful or upset at the loss of contact.

"Finish cooking, dobe."

The blonde stands frozen to the spot momentarily. When the shock fades off, livid embarrassment fuels the blonde to move. "Dammit, teme!" Naruto stomps around, irately throwing the forgotten vegetables into the steamer. It doesn't take his mind off the prior events at all, and he continues to lash out.

"You're such a perverted brat! You push things at every given moment." Naruto huffs and glares venomously at the raven, who doesn't even have the decency to look ashamed. Why in the world should he be upset about that little situation ending? He's not giving in to this guy's advances just because he's sex on legs. Naruto fights to keep the blush from rising to his cheeks, but knowing it to be futile, he turns away from his tormentor, furiously searching for anything to take his mind off this.

Remembering that he was cooking before Sasuke decided to play with him, Naruto throws open the oven door and pulls the fish out. Luckily for Sasuke, it's not burnt. The blonde would have force-fed it all to him if it was.

"It's going to be a little late now, because _someone_ interrupted." Naruto pours the rice into the rapidly boiling water, still refusing to look at Sasuke. He can't stand that he lets the raven get to him like this; he can feel the blush that is burning on his cheeks.

Naruto simmers down as he gets into cooking again. Pulling everything together, Naruto looks proudly at his meal. Then, his attention is drawn back to the raven sitting at the bar island.

Naruto narrows his eyes. "I suppose you can eat."

Sasuke rolls his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips. "How courteous of you." Naruto ignores this quip as he makes a plate for the jerk, sliding it towards him before putting together his own.

"What do you want to drink?" Naruto pulls the fridge door open, surveying the options.

"Just water." Naruto shrugs his shoulders, pulling out two waters. Getting everything together, they move back to the living room.

"Okay," Naruto sits down next to the raven, making sure to keep a healthy distance, "we're watching a movie, and no more homework tonight. I'll do it later. In exchange, you can choose the movie. I won't argue."

Sasuke holds his hand out for the remote, which Naruto turns over to him. "I'm amending the Terms and Conditions."

Naruto bows his head and lets out a dismayed sigh. Can he manage not to be difficult just once?

"We'll watch a show while we eat, and start a movie after. I do have something I want to see, but I want to focus my full attention on it."

Naruto nods in agreement, accepting this change. So long as he doesn't have to study, he doesn't care. They eat in relative peace; Naruto is a bit too jumpy to settle down completely. The last time he let Sasuke get that close, the situation went a bit out of control. He's not against doing anything with Sasuke – he's already agreed to pursuing this. The manner in which Sasuke decides to handle things though… That tends to be a bit terrifying. The blonde has never had someone who so spontaneously makes moves. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Naruto can't stop stealing glances at the raven, verifying he's still in place.

"If you're done, dobe, we have a movie to watch." Naruto jumps at the sudden words. Embarrassed, he clambers to his feet and grabs their empty plates, just about running to the kitchen. God, he has to calm down.

Sasuke looks over his shoulder at the retuning blonde. "Turn the lights off." Not thinking anything of it, Naruto follows the order.

"Do you wanna stay under the kotatsu, or move to the couch?"

Sasuke shakes his head and shows no intention to move. "Here." Naruto takes a seat again, leaning into the chair and stretching his legs out under the table. It's been awhile since he watched a movie while at the kotatsu. He tends to fall asleep from the warmth and the blanket; it's too much like lying in bed.

"What movie are we watching?" Naruto tilts his head to look at the raven. His demeanor gives no hint as to what might play.

Sasuke hits play and sets the remote down. "You'll see."

See he does. Not even thirty seconds into the film, and Naruto is ready to turn it off. Of course Sasuke would be into horror movies. What else could possibly interest the twisted raven? Why did he ever give him permission to choose? Action movies are fine; suspense movies are fine. Hell, gore horror is fine, but can someone please explain why it has to be supernatural horror that he chose?

Not just any supernatural bullshit either! The first thing that pops up on the screen is a disgusting old doll; the kind that you know is possessed by a demon just from the cracked eye. "Sasuke," Naruto tries not to whine, "does it have to be this? Don't you got a second option?"

The raven raises an eyebrow at the blonde. "Are you afraid already?"

Naruto growls and burrows further into the blanket, refusing to acknowledge that with an answer. Fine, Sasuke wants to watch a creepy horror movie, then that's what they'll do.

The blonde manages to get through the first hour of the film in quiet terror. He keeps the kotatsu blanket pulled safely against his face in the event something gets too scary. He's pretty proud of himself for coming this far. He hasn't torn his terrified eyes from the screen since it began.

He finds out soon enough that his self-praise is too early. As the movie flashes onto a jump scare scene, Naruto lets out an unmanly squeak of terror, turning to bury his face in the warm comfort at this side.

"Dobe?" Sasuke's voice reaches the blonde's ears, but it doesn't make him budge.

"Hm?" The blonde murmurs into the raven's shoulder, keeping his eyes protected from seeing anymore.

"What are you doing?"

Isn't that obvious? "Hiding."

"From what?" Sasuke sounds slightly irritated at this point.

"Teme, it can come through the TV! It's like a portal!" Naruto exclaims much to Sasuke's apparent despair. The raven sighs exasperatedly, but doesn't push the blonde off. Instead, he moves his arm to more comfortably allow for Naruto to bury his face in the crook of his shoulder.

The blonde peaks at the movie after a few minutes, feeling a bit more secure. Though any time something frightening happens, he moves his body closer to the raven's side. During a particularly intense scene, Naruto tosses his leg between Sasuke's, pressing tightly against him for safety.

Naruto jumps when he feels something running through his hair, but calms down when he realizes it's just Sasuke's hand playing along his neck. The blonde tries to ease up and finish the movie in relative peace – as if.

By the time the movie is over, Naruto is completely cuddled against Sasuke's side. He can't even breathe easy when the credits roll around. Suddenly, every shadow in the dark room seems insidious.

Sasuke nudges his shoulder against the blonde. "Turn the light on, dobe."

Well, yeah. That sounds like a good idea, but… Something could eat him from the time it'll take to move across the room.

If only he could get Sasuke to come with him, he thinks morosely. "Come on, we need to stretch." Naruto pulls on the arm he's had a death grip on since he initially attached himself to the raven. Sasuke doesn't argue as the blonde brings them clumsily to their feet.

Now, he has to get Sasuke to go across the room with him, without seeming obvious…

The blonde doesn't have to ponder for long though. He's being tugged alongside Sasuke towards the light.

Blinking in pain as bright light hits his eyes, Naruto lets out a massive sigh of relief. Oh, everything is safer in the light.

"If you couldn't handle it, you should have said so."

"It's not like that! I can handle –" the TV times out and clicks over to a new program, booming the loud audio throughout the room. Naruto nearly jumps out of his skin.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "You're not going to make it through the night."

Naruto's eyes widen in fearful agreement. There is no way he's going to get any sleep tonight.

The raven sighs, walking back to the table. "I'll stay the night with you, on the condition we finish all your homework."

"Deal." The blonde might be trading off one trauma for the next, but at least he won't have to deal with the night alone.


	10. Attachment

**Authors Note :** Please don't hate me! A chapter in Sasuke's P.O.V was requested, and I delivered. Unfortunately, that request was made right before we hit shaky ground with the boys. I think this actually worked really well for writing all this drama in the raven's view, as it gives a lot of insight as to his inner turmoil. Though, Naruto would have had an eventful week too (but I'll quickly run over what his talk with Kiba and Ino was about in Ch. 11). I hope you enjoy this chapter and don't think I'm evil for it.

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 **Betas Note :** Drrrraaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaa. See maybe that is a bit too dramatic but it works for the chapter. I know everyone wants sunshine and rainbows but as the famous quote says, can't have a rainbow without the rain. I'm just as excited as you guys to see what's to come in the next chapters. Remember, the sun will come out tomorrow. Done with my weather jokes? It's okay so am I. Bet you thought there'd be another one. Nah. Too lazy for that. AJ, why do you let me write notes?

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 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse. **  
**

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

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 **Chapter 10 : Attachment**

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Some people find waking up to warmth and bird songs to be a highly pleasant experience, coveted even.

Not Sasuke.

He is not the least bit impressed by the chirping coming through the sunny window. If he had known there was a bird's nest close outside, he wouldn't have stayed. Either Naruto can get that thing removed, or all future appointments will be located at the raven's house.

Speaking of the blonde, he feels an arm tighten around his bare back, huddling the smaller boy closer into Sasuke's chest. The fabric of Naruto's shirt brushing against him makes the rave shiver. This wouldn't be a problem if Naruto weren't a human furnace; Sasuke could still be fully clothed. However, he supposes he brought on the whole situation.

The blonde's fear of ghost seems to be legitimate; Sasuke once heard the little idiot having a full octave conversation with Kiba about ghosts and his apparent belief – and fear – of them. Then he offered him the opportunity to see that fear in reality. Sasuke did not plan to have the blonde haul himself into his lap halfway through the movie though, nor did he expect to stay the night to fend off any spectral visitors.

He did plan on staying the night; however, he had far less innocent motives in mind originally. Motives he likely could have accomplished if not for the easily swayed blonde. He just wasn't swayed into the needed direction.

By the time Naruto dragged him to his room, he'd steeled himself against jumping the blonde. He'd pushed him once that night and had been rebuffed. No sense in trying his hand at a further attempt.

In the beginning, Naruto kept to one side of the bed and away from Sasuke, but at some point, he rolled over and threw an arm around the raven. This is when Sasuke learned two things. One, the blonde runs naturally hot – it's not just when he's being teased. Two, Sasuke cannot handle having a human furnace on top of him.

The raven had pushed Naruto off, who remained unfazed and stayed asleep. When he still couldn't get comfortable, he pulled his shirt off and tried again. Apparently, sometime after that, Naruto once again forced himself against the raven. Ending them up here.

Sasuke cracks an eye open, frowning at the constant chirping. Those birds are about as annoying as Naruto. As the raven wakes up and his eyes begin to focus, the first thing he notices is the mop of blonde hair laying on the pillow right next to him. He scoffs lightly at the mess; how does he manage to deal with those untamed locks?

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke looks past the blonde and his eyes fall on something familiar. Six garden pots sit on the wide ledge of the windowsill, basking in the copious amounts of sunlight falling through the window. The raven wasn't sure Naruto had even found them yet; he never said anything or made any mention of it.

Maybe that's for the best, though. Sasuke didn't want a big production made out of it, thus why he threw it all in the blondes car. He closes his eyes again, slightly marveling at how the blonde can fit himself so snugly against his chest and still have room to breathe.

Consciously, the blonde tries to pull himself away from seeming too invested in whatever him and Sasuke are doing. The raven is aware that's a stigma of his belief that this isn't appropriate. Naruto has barely accepted that he's – at the least, bisexual – let alone willing to admit it to the world.

Sasuke, on the other hand, doesn't care who knows. As long as he has the blonde's approval, he'll do as he wants, whether or not others can see. People talk one way or another. Might as well do as you want and give them something to speak of.

He's not sure what Naruto is doing, though. Offering a physical relationship, with little to no pressure from Sasuke? The raven knows he's good, but he didn't expect Naruto to give in so quickly. Either the blonde had a breakthrough with that orgasm on his couch, or he just forfeited in hopes of more pleasure.

As for Sasuke, he can't exactly pinpoint why he agreed. He's not concerned about this being some sort of experiment anymore. The blonde's obviously into him; there's no doubt about that. On that same note, Naruto has some emotions attached to all this, that Sasuke will not be responding to. He told him clearly this would just be physical, did he not? It's not Sasuke's fault if the blonde goes deeper than that.

He's not particularly encouraging Naruto to want more. The only contact he initiates with him is sexual. The blonde should be able to tell lust from love. If he can't, then this whole thing is going to end poorly. The moment Naruto starts pushing for something more, Sasuke will walk. The raven isn't a fool; he knows that's inevitable. He's just hoping that Naruto can refrain till at least the end of the school year.

Sasuke's musings are put on hold when he feels Naruto shift next to him. Keeping his eyes closed, the raven feels a warm arm slip away from his back and a dip in the bed. He assumes Naruto is propping himself up; Sasuke can imagine the sleep still etched in his face. He wants to open his eyes and see –

Naruto's forearm pushes against Sasuke's chest as the blonde comes closer, stealing a chaste kiss from the raven. Oh, so he can make the first move when he thinks he's not being watched?

Sasuke blinks open one eye, taking in a startled blonde. He must have thought Sasuke was still asleep. A familiar red hue spreads along his cheeks. This boy is so innocent. Every little gesture makes him blush. The raven languidly raises his free arm and pokes Naruto in the forehead; he lets his arm fall back to rest on the bed just as carelessly as he raised it.

At first, Naruto looks shocked, but then a timid smile breaks onto his face. "Good morning, teme. Happen to know what time it is?"

The clock behind Naruto glows at 6:45am, information that Sasuke relays to the blonde.

Naruto groans. "Could've slept for fifteen more minutes." He sighs but rolls out of bed, stretching when he lands on his feet. "You can have the bathroom attached to my room. I'll go over to the guest room."

Sasuke watches the blonde sleepily saunter out of the room before getting up himself. He hates the morning. There's nothing good about it. Once he gets comfortable in bed, he'll be hard pressed to get up again. Not to mention how little things – like annoying birds – can make or break his attitude for the day.

Though it's hard to be annoyed when, twenty minutes later as Sasuke is finishing fastening the button of his pants, Naruto walks into the room with nothing but a blush on his cheeks and a towel around his waist. Sasuke isn't sure if the blush is due to his own state of undress, or that he walked in on a topless raven.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at the lithe blonde currently cowering behind the sliding door to his room. Did Naruto suddenly develop a perverted streak and meant to come try his hand at seducing the raven, only to back out? Sasuke hates to admit it, but this could work. Naruto looks so abashed and his nerves are blatantly dancing along his expression.

When he raises a hand to rub the back of his neck, stretching his upper body and making the towel fall just a notch down his waist, it takes all of Sasuke's willpower to not reach out and grab him. He wants to throw him back onto the bed and rip that treacherous towel completely off. All of last nights unresolved sexual tension comes flooding back to him.

Sasuke narrows his eyes, annoyed at his own weakness. Naruto is just a little blonde brat; he's nothing to lose his head over. "Dobe," the raven says warningly, demanding an explanation with that one word.

"I forgot to grab clothes," Naruto stutters out quickly, "I always get dressed in my room and just find clothes after my shower."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. How has this boy managed to live on his own up to this point without killing himself? He can forget daily functions at the drop of a hat.

"So, if you don't mind going downstairs…" Naruto pleads with hopeful eyes for Sasuke to do as he asks.

The raven knows he could torment him. He could sit on the bed, stretching his torso out invitingly for the blonde to come over and touch. Better yet, he could do his original fantasy. Hell, he could stand here and just stare the blonde down till he breaks.

The issue is, Sasuke feels the need to prove to himself that he can walk away from Naruto. He is not so enthralled by a boy that he cannot even tear himself away from a basic situation.

"Dammit, Sasuke." Naruto mutters loudly, ruffling his wet hair in annoyance. "Fine." With that, Naruto struts into the room, heading for his closet. Sasuke watches for a moment as the blonde rummages through untidy laundry baskets. Without wasting more time, he turns and grabs his own bag of clothes and toiletries from the floor, leaving the room to finish getting ready downstairs.

Now he is annoyed. That shouldn't have been so difficult, he mentally berates himself. Generally, once he realizes that mouth goes along with the body, he can easily pull himself away. Naruto has a tendency to say things that just strike a nerve, killing anything but a desire to argue. Perhaps he really does need a release. He's not sure how far Naruto will let him push though. They just came to their tentative agreement about a week ago. Sometimes the blonde is difficult about these things.

"Are you a breakfast person?" Naruto comes down the stairs, glancing at Sasuke's seat at the bar island.

"Usually just toast."

Naruto nods and moves about the kitchen, pulling a toaster off a shelf and getting it plugged in, before turning to grab a loaf of bread. "What degree of toastiness do you like?"

"Just light brown, dobe. Don't burn it." Sasuke rests his chin in his hand as the blonde bustles around, grabbing a couple of plates and glasses as he waits for the toast to pop up.

"Jelly? Milk? Orange juice?" Naruto lists items off while holding the fridge door open.

"Strawberry. Orange juice."

Naruto takes the items out of the fridge and sets them on the table. "You don't strike me as a strawberry kind of person. I love apple butter, myself."

"Apple butter?"

Naruto shifts horrified eyes to the raven, as if Sasuke just admitted he kicks puppies in his free time. "You've never had apple butter?"

Sasuke shakes his head no, suppressing a smirk. Naruto groans, grabbing a spoon from the drawer. "Try it, okay?"

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke does as he's asked. He isn't expecting the taste that meets his tongue, but he's not against it. It has promise. "It's alright, dobe."

"Alright?" Naruto gawks at him. "Just alright?" The blonde throws a hand over his heart, feigning pain. Such a dramatic brat.

By the time Naruto gets over his theatrics and they finish eating, they're pushing their time to get to school. Sasuke can't say he's fond of the thirty minute drive out to the remote house, but the actual location is nice. It has some sort of classic Japanese appeal to it. Being out here in the middle of the woods, it's easy to forget that you're only half an hour away from an American city. The raven would enjoy living out here alone, but he can't imagine Naruto does. The blonde has a substantial group of friends; not that he's been spending much time with them.

That irks the raven, honestly. Is Naruto getting too involved with him? He can't be all the blonde focuses on, for both of their sakes. He's not about to meddle in Naruto's affairs and tell him to hang out with other people. However, he can tell him not to be around so much. Maybe they need to start doing the assignments at the café again. Between Naruto's inability to control his emotions, and Sasuke's lack of patience for taking their physicality slow, it might be for the best.

"Dobe." Sasuke draws the attention of the blonde walking into the school with him. "Can you do an assignment at Java's Friday?"

"Yeah, if we do it before work. My shift starts at 7pm."

Sasuke nods, accepting the time constraints. "Be there at 5." Now he just needs to maintain some distance till then.

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Easier said than done. The blonde seems to be everywhere that he is. Sasuke is sure this isn't on purpose, given that half the time Naruto isn't even paying attention to him. The raven just happens to spot him in the crowd. He still sits next to him in homeroom and often leaves with him, as well as studying in the library before practice, but it doesn't explain why Sasuke is so hyper-aware of his presence.

Not knowing frustrates him beyond belief. He thought he had reached a conclusion that day in Seattle: It has nothing to do with romance – Sasuke forbids it to ever come to that point. He's simply curious about why Naruto is changing and he feels slightly responsible for the blonde's newfound animosity with a couple cheerleaders.

Not that he seems to be fighting with Ino anymore. Sasuke happened to see them walking down the hall together yesterday; a sight he found quite odd. Either the blonde cheerleader has decided to stop helping Sakura's crusade to win Sasuke over, or she's trying some new tactics. She even has his number to bother him at any time.

The raven isn't going to concern himself with that. Naruto may be dense and too trusting, but he can tell when he's in trouble and needs to stay away from someone. Hopefully.

"Hey, teme." Naruto drops his bag on the floor and slides into the seat across from the raven. "I have like, three assignments tonight and that's it." The blonde sounds so pleased, Sasuke can't help but smirk.

"This is why you do your work as you get it, instead of piling it up." Sasuke has never had a point in his life where studying and learning new topics was a hardship. He's always caught onto his subjects quickly. For this reason, he usually spends his lunch break tutoring his peers; for a fee.

Working with Naruto on his classes has been quite the experience. It's not that Naruto is truly an idiot; he's just thick-skulled. Getting the simplest of topics to lock into place for the blonde is a feat, but once he does understand, he can build onto the information with relative ease.

Sasuke tends to want to kill him before they get to that stage though.

"Why is this like that?" Sasuke sighs as he begins to explain logarithmic functions again. Math might be the one topic that Naruto cannot grasp. Even Sasuke is ready to give up tutoring him on this. The raven has worked with freshman who could understand this better.

Naruto drums his pen along the table, seemingly stuck on the question he's supposed to be answering. He turns his attention up to the raven, and he can tell from the look on his face it won't be about math. "Sasuke, why don't we just do the project assignments here?"

Mostly because Sasuke needs an excuse to go to the café and get a latte. Starbucks doesn't compete with a good, locally run café. "We often take longer than an hour to answer the essays, depending on what sort of rant you want to go on."

"Kashi did say we need to answer them seriously, like essays." Since when does Naruto actually do what a teacher tells him to, particularly Kakashi? Judging from their shared World History class, it feels like Naruto's goal in Kakashi's life is to drive the man crazy.

"I'll see you at 7, yeah?" Naruto piles his work back into his bag, slinging it over his shoulder and standing up, glancing at Sasuke for confirmation. Sasuke nods to him, earning a smile from the blonde before he strolls out of the library.

Sasuke stays in the library for another forty minutes, finishing his work before heading to Java's. They haven't been there since the raven pulled that kissing stunt, which AJ definitely saw. He wonders what sort of reception he'll get when he walks in – she didn't seem to be against it.

"Hello, Sasuke." Sasuke looks towards the front of the café, not hearing the voice he expected upon walking through the door. His eyes narrow in dislike as he sees the worst employee in this shop. Doesn't AJ do any sort of personality screening before she hires? How did Sai even manage to get a job here?

Sasuke rolls his eyes in annoyance, walking towards the counter. If he wants his latte, he'll have to deal with it.

"Where is your boyfriend?" That sickening smile comes out to play. "From what I hear, you two are attached at the hip." Do Sasuke's eyes deceive him, or is there venom dripping from that smile too? Either this boy is totally out of the loop on appropriate social behavior, or he sincerely enjoys pushing buttons.

"Sai," AJ comes out of her office, shooing the sociopath away from the register. "Hey, Sasuke. Double shot latte?" At the curt nod she receives, AJ breaks out into a grin. "Don't mind Sai. He's harmless. He doesn't really understand emotions too well or why people respond the way they do, so he's constantly pushing situations to observe human reactions." AJ shrugs her shoulders. "I think it's rather cute. He won me over during his interview, but Naruto doesn't like him either." At least he can agree with the blonde on that point. That inky black haired boy is disconcerting.

Sasuke waits at the register for AJ to make his drink, listening to her rambles about a disastrous new recipe she failed to achieve, and how she's making Naruto try to do it when he starts his shift. So far she hasn't made any mention of not allowing PDA in her shop.

"There you go." She slides Sasuke a drink in a new cup that he hasn't seen before. It's bright red on the outside and white on the inside. It's in the shape of a curvy heart, and Sasuke can just imagine there's a matching one that fits into the groove.

AJ leans her elbow on the counter and props her face in her hand. "If you're going to make out in my café, then I get to treat you like a couple." She taps the table next to the cup. "Sai helped me choose the cups."

Sasuke sighs and shakes his head slightly, picking up the cup. He's not going to argue about getting a free latte, even if it is in a red heart. "I think his personality has rubbed off on you."

AJ lets out a jubilant laugh at this, straightening up and grinning at the raven. "Be nice to Naruto. He's a fragile child." She winks at Sasuke before going back towards her office, patting Sai on the shoulder on her way.

Sasuke heads to the back of the café to their usual booth. He prefers this spot as it's hidden from the majority of the store. Being in an alcove with high booths, you would think it would be difficult to see what the people sitting here are doing.

Apparently, that was a bad assumption to make.

Sasuke only has to wait twenty minutes for Naruto to arrive at the café; hearing him the moment he walks through the door.

"AJ," a familiar voice whines out, "it's so cold today!" Sasuke scoffs. The idiot needs to learn manners; he could have disturbed other patrons if anyone else was in here.

A laugh resonates from the office, followed by the reemergence of the owner. "What do you want to warm up with?"

"Hot chocolate, please."

"Hello, Naru." Sasuke watches as Naruto tenses up at the nickname, turning a glare onto Sai.

"What do you want?"

"Is it not proper courtesy to greet your acquaintances?"

"If I considered you one, sure. As it is, you can leave me alone."

"Now, Naruto. Be friendly." AJ sighs heavily in a mocking fashion. It's apparent she goes through this often. If Sasuke recalls correctly, Naruto mentioned once that he refuses to work with the strange boy.

"Hey, AJ," Naruto asks in a confused tone, "what's up with this cup?"

AJ bursts into a fresh fit of giggles, not even able to answer the blonde's question. Sasuke watches her turn away and walk back into her office, shaking her head the whole way.

Naruto comes around towards the raven, still marveling at the new cup. Sasuke sighs and prepares himself for the outburst he knows is going to happen the moment the blonde catches on. This is just going to add onto his "PDA is a bad thing" plight.

"Teme, look at – " Sasuke can see the confusion in Naruto's face working its way around to horrified understanding. "Did she really buy us matching cups?"

"With Sai's help."

"Dammit, AJ!" Naruto shouts around the corner towards her office. For a moment, Sasuke thinks the blonde is going to refuse even drinking from the cup, but he breaks down quickly, taking a hesitant sip. "This is your fault, you know."

Ah, and there it is. Sasuke can figure this boy out well; he's far too predictable. Choosing to avoid having this conversation, Sasuke cuts to the chase. "Assignment 12, dobe. Question one. How do gender roles play a part in relationships?" He pauses a moment to see if Naruto will pipe in with a response. If the question is simple enough, he can typically form a reply.

"I think gender roles are a big part of any relationship, even on really simple levels. Like, guys are supposed to pay for dates and make the first move, and those are culturally accepted things, you know? I think for a lot of people, the classic idea of women staying home and men working is still a big gender role that happens, too." Naruto twirls his pen in between thoughts, before scribbling down his thoughts again.

"Gender roles, whether accepted or not, are an integral part of relationships. No matter what type of relationship it is; there will always be some form of gender roles going on. That doesn't necessarily mean they will be wanted or accepted, which can lead to conflict within the relationship." Naruto nods in agreement with Sasuke's view, writing it down as well.

"Question two," the blonde starts, "how does intimacy, defined as a positive emotional bond, affect relationships?" Naruto leans back in his chair, clearly mystified by this question. "How doesn't it affect it? Any relationship that is good is likely to have a positive emotional bond, right? Like, why would you even bother otherwise? I don't worry about forming any relationship if there aren't positive emotions built in."

Sasuke narrows his eyes, giving the blonde a once over before returning his gaze to his paper. He figured that's how it was for Naruto, and it's what he was afraid of. It's why the raven cut him off from answering the question about different kinds of attraction last week at his place. This is not territory he wants them to venture into. Naruto does not need any sort of encouragement to touch base on this topic.

"Not everyone wants intimacy or bonds in their relationships," Sasuke's voice comes out a bit harsher than he planned for it to. "It can be just as beneficial to hold everyone at a distance."

"How is that beneficial?" Naruto says in honest bewilderment. "Isn't it good to have people that you're positively involved with?" Sasuke can read the question in Naruto's eyes that he's not voicing; _"aren't you positively involved with me?"_

Sasuke holds the blondes gaze, not backing down from getting this point across. "I will not involve myself with anyone in a way that forms emotional bonds."

Naruto sighs harshly, ripping his gaze away from Sasuke and angrily watching the street from the window. "That's stupid, teme. You need people. Especially people that are trying to be there."

Sasuke is done with this conversation, ready to move past it. There is nothing Naruto can say that is going to change his mind on this. He decided a long time ago that he would not get involved with anyone again. 'Emotional bonds' is just another term for stupidity; a concept the blonde is well versed in.

"Question three," the raven pushes forward, "how does commitment affect relationships? Commitment will decide how long a relationship lasts for, overall." Sasuke answers without waiting to see what Naruto's view is. "Different levels of commitment can decide how far a relationship progresses to. Different types of relationships will also require a different level of commitment."

Naruto glares at the raven. "Do you not put any commitment into any relationship?"

Sasuke can tell he is treading dangerous water. Unfortunately for the blonde, he's never backed down from saying exactly what he wants. He does not sugarcoat his words. "I put the needed amount."

"What's the _needed_ _amount_ for a friend?"

Sasuke sighs and leans back in the booth. "Dobe, quit taking it personally."

Naruto scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Of course I'm going to take it personally. You're basically saying – "

"Nothing different than what I've said the moment we started doing this." That shuts Naruto up. "Just finish the assignment, dobe."

Naruto looks like he wants to keep fighting it out, but he just grumbles in a low tone and searches for the next question. "What is the attachment theory?"

"Attachment theory is that children look to their parents for security when they're young. This can evolve into four different types of attachment styles that are mentioned in the next question.

They are: Fearful attachment or thinking negatively about people and themselves. Preoccupied attachment or thinking negatively about oneself but positive about others. Dismissing attachment or thinking positively about oneself but negative about others. And finally, secure attachment or thinking positively about people and themselves. On that note, question five is, which style do you think describes your partner."

Naruto snorts with no amusement. "I think it's obvious that you're dismissing." Sasuke isn't going to argue that point. He's highly dismissing of everyone around him, because no one can prove their worth. It's not his fault people are useless and can't find a purpose in his life.

"And you are preoccupied." Originally, Sasuke debated on whether the blonde was a preoccupied attachment style, or secure. The longer he thought about it though, the more he realized that Naruto is not secure with himself in the least. That's half of their issues.

"So what if I am? Going to tell me to change my view of myself and be conceited and arrogant like you?" Sasuke rolls his eyes. Something has struck a nerve with the blonde tonight. It's been awhile since he's come at the raven like this, all claws and teeth bared.

"You could do with a bit of self-confidence, but I'm not going to give you any pep talks about how to be a better person. You can go see Kiba for that."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Naruto growls in irritation. "Why are you just brushing me off today? You've been so weird the last couple of days. Like you don't want to be with me."

"I am _not_ with you." Sasuke says intently. "We are not attached in any way that means something. The whole physical relationship is not a bond, dobe. Anything we have done together the last month does not mean I am indebted to be in some form of a deep meaning relationship with you."

"It's called a friend, teme!"

"I don't think you understand the difference between friend and lover, because you're confusing the two in your mind. Must I remind you though, I am neither to you." The venom in Sasuke's voice is a bit of shock; he hasn't spoken with this much hatred to Naruto in a long time. The blonde must realize this too, because he looks stunned for a moment, before it melts off into anger.

The blonde shrugs his shoulders, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "If that's what you want, then that's what we'll do. I'm not going to fight you on this. I've already spent four years chasing after someone who didn't want me back. I'm not gonna do it again."

Naruto scoffs, pushing up from the seat. "I don't think you need to worry about me falling in love with you anyways, teme." Naruto angrily throws his books into his bag. "I want to get along with you because I consider you a friend, and for me, that means caring about you. Yeah, I also think you're hot as fuck but don't for a moment think that means I have to be in love with you."

Naruto slings the bag over his shoulder, turning to walk out. "But at times like this, I find you pretty fucking unattractive. That shitty attitude of yours is your biggest downfall." With that, Naruto gives another angry shake of his head and walks out the door. For the first time since they started this project, Sasuke is the one left alone. For reasons he can't fathom, this makes his stomach turn in a way he hasn't felt in years.

* * *

To say Sasuke is annoyed would be an understatement. That he doesn't know who he's more annoyed with – himself or Naruto – just infuriates him more. He hasn't tried talking to Naruto, nor has the blonde reached out to him. Not that there is any reason he should. Sasuke did make it fairly clear where they stand; he didn't expect Naruto to take it so hard.

He has not led the blonde on. He firmly believes that. He has never once told Naruto they were friends. When they agreed they would mess around, Sasuke specifically stated it was not to be a romantic relationship.

If Naruto took staying the night and any other random times they've spent together as some sign of a forming bond, then that's his mistake. Sasuke will not deny that he enjoys the blondes company, thus making him receptive to hanging out. That shouldn't have to correlate with dating.

With a scowl on his face, Sasuke slams the door to his brothers Mustang shut. He figures he might as well run the gas out of it before returning to his own. What idiot fills his car all the way up and then leaves it parked for months? Well, this particular one is named Itachi.

"Hey, Sasuke." A couple of smiling girls call out to him as walks up to the main door of the school. Already excessively irate, the raven turns a venomous glare onto them, making them turn their heads away from him quickly. This Monday is going to be rough.

It feels strange to know he's going to purposefully avoid Naruto. In the past, it would have happened naturally. Now, he has to work for pretending the blonde doesn't exist. He's going to move back to the front of the room, undoubtedly letting people know they're arguing. He'll have to ignore the blonde in the halls, and he's assuming Naruto will not be coming to the library. At least, Sasuke won't. He has a student council meeting this evening that accounts for a large part of his attitude.

If he hears one more word from Sakura's mouth that doesn't pertain to Kasai events, he's going to rip her tongue out. Her incessant chatter and flirting has run its course and kept on going. How many times must someone be told no before they take a hint?

Sasuke scoffs as he thinks of how Naruto used to chase after her in the same fashion, also blasting through all stop signs and pursuing something that didn't want him back. While Naruto has realized the error of his way, that annoying pink eyesore is not. It vaguely occurs to Sasuke that Naruto doesn't chase Sasuke like that; going all out for his attention. Strangely, he feels irritation bubble in his stomach at this realization. Shouldn't that be a good thing?

As much as Naruto says he's into him, he doesn't make a drastic effort to pursue him. Either Naruto doesn't feel as strongly for the raven as he's worrying he does, or Naruto has been trying to acknowledge the raven's comfort and boundaries. What's the point in worrying about it? He doesn't care about it one way or the other.

His interest in Naruto is a way to pass the time. He'll just go back to what he was doing before the blonde invaded his life. As he thinks about it, he realizes he wasn't doing much before. No less than what he does now, true, but with Naruto waltzing in like he owns everything, he took up an empty space like he belonged there.

Sasuke will just have to continue reminding himself that the blonde _does not_ belong. Nor does anyone else who thinks they can come into his life. He can feel eyes on the back of his head during the entirety of homeroom. He figures this is Naruto silently fuming, but when the bell rings and he gets up to leave, he's slightly startled to see it's Kiba sending him death glares rather than the blonde.

"Hey," the shaggy haired idiot calls out to Sasuke, "I wanna talk with you after school."

"I'm unavailable." Sasuke keeps walking, ignoring the boy following him.

"Make yourself available, Sasuke. Fuck sake." Kiba scowls and grumbles something low; Sasuke barely makes out the phrase "Uchiha assholes" before tuning him out. "I know you've got a meeting after class. If you're still around after practice, I'll come your way. If not, I'll just hunt you down tomorrow morning." Kiba doesn't wait for a reply and effortlessly merges into the sea of students.

Damn that blonde and his yappy watchdog. He's not in the mood for Kiba and his whining. He'll have to avoid running into him after the meeting, one way or another. Sasuke can already imagine what he's going to say; Kiba is Naruto's best friend. There's no doubt he already knows about Friday. He probably knows about the entire situation.

As the day passes by tediously, Sasuke's somber mood grows. Naruto is not only point blank ignoring him, he's being unusually morose. He didn't speak during either of their shared classes, his face holds a frown whenever Sasuke discreetly sees him in the hall, and he even took lunch alone – opting to sit in the north east courtyard that the main library overlooks.

It's not that Sasuke cares whether Naruto is upset by their conversation or not. It just peaks his interest to see the blonde out-of-character. Very few times in the four years he's known the boy has he been visibly depressed.

The raven has all day to think about it in the back of his mind; his classes barely hold his attention when he knows the material.

When the bell rings, dismissing 6th period, Sasuke heads straight to the meeting room. He wants to get this day over and done. For their sakes, everyone better arrive on time. There are twelve council members, including himself. One boy and one girl from each year make up the representatives, with four other positions being available – president, vice, secretary, and treasurer. The guidance counselor, Iruka, is the liaison teacher that everything has to be reported back to, though he doesn't attend the meetings.

One face he doesn't have to worry about not showing is Shikamaru; the vice president. The lazy genius is already leaning back in a chair next to the window, watching the clouds with upturned eyes. He doesn't even bother to see who it is that's come through the door. He'd rather be anywhere but here, Sasuke muses. Ino dragged him into being on the council, saying it would be a good experience for him.

Sasuke, on the other hand, did choose this position. He's been the president of the student council for two years – going on three and final this time around. It has nothing to do with school spirit or being closer to his peers; he chose this as an excellent bullet point to put on his university resume. Sometimes the extra-curricular is more of a headache than its worth. Especially with this being their senior year, and a couple of girls being too crazed over a dance.

You would think after so much time doing this, Sasuke would be desensitized to the idiots he has to call council members. This gets proven false with every meeting, where he feels like maiming at least one person. Usually Sakura or Ino.

"We need to discuss what we're doing for prom." The first thing out of the insufferable pinkette's mouth once everyone is seated.

"That's all we've been discussing since January." Temari rolls her eyes, sending a sharp glare over to Sakura.

"It's a big deal!" Sakura huffs and crosses her arms over her chest.

"It's not like you didn't get to go last year. It's junior and senior prom." Sakura scowls at this newsflash from Temari.

"That's not the point. It's different when you're a senior." The pinkette turns to Ino. "Back me up here. We should be planning this."

"Sasuke already gave us permission to work out the details and present it to the council. What's the problem?"

Sakura speaks through gritted teeth. "The problem is, we don't have enough money to cover the theme." The theme being – if the plan the girls turned into Sasuke is accurate – Golden Age Hollywood. He can sum it up in one word: Gaudy.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Sakura is the treasurer of the council, so she would know the money issues better than anyone. "Even with all the fundraisers we've done this year?"

Sakura nods curtly. "We need to do another – or a few more, actually."

"Didn't Daichi leave some money in the council account when he left?" One of the sophomore representatives, Itsuki, turns his attention to Sasuke. "My brother told me he left a little extra so we could have a fun year."

"It's still not enough to cover the prom," Sakura mutters in anger. "It's going to take double what we have now to get everything ready."

"Whoa," Koiichi – a first year rep – says cautiously, "isn't that a lot of money to blow on a dance? That could fund an event for everyone in the school to take part in."

"Like you would understand," Sakura bites out harshly at the boy, causing him to slink back in surprise. "This is more than just a dance. It's a right for all seniors."

"A right," Sasuke cuts in, "that I will take from you if you rudely speak to a council member again, Sakura." He levels his narrowed eyes on her. "We handle things respectably and with manners during these meetings. If that's too much, you can leave."

That shuts the bothersome girl up. She quickly takes an attitude with the other members constantly. It's been particularly bad this year, with her being so strung up about this prom nonsense. Usually, Ino converses with her and keeps her simmered down, but the blonde is strangely reticent today.

Sasuke turns his attention back to the group. "Does anyone have any suggestions for a fundraiser?"

Kaede, a freshman rep, raises her hand and leans forward. "We could do a cultural fair, since this school is so diverse. Allow students to sign up for helping complete a booth, then host it sometime soon." A few murmurs go around the room, accompanied by smiles and nods of appreciation.

"Any qualms with that?" Not receiving any criticism, Sasuke continues. "Kaede, I will put you in charge of the event. Can I have two volunteers to assist her in planning?"

Immediately, one hand pops up. Sasuke looks over to see Midori, a junior representative. He nods at her before looking around for someone else.

"If Midori is gonna help, then I will too." Temari says, then in a lower tone she adds, "jeez, I'm too busy for this."

Sasuke will pretend he didn't hear that. "Then that's settled. To address the issue of the prom budget, I suggest you figure out the average budget for the last five years and go with that."

When it looks like Sakura is about to start arguing again, Sasuke steps in immediately. "If you are not capable of remaining reasonable in planning the dance, then someone else can take over."

Sakura shakes her head sullenly and refuses to look at the raven. "I just want it to be special. It's our last year."

"It was Kana's last year too, and she didn't go over the top." Kana was the vice president last year, and in charge of the prom committee. Sasuke didn't have half as much trouble working with her on this. "If I recall, we typically budget around $8,000 total for the prom. Looking at your plans," Sasuke nods to the paper in front of him, "you want to spend half of that alone on the decorations."

A few scoffs resound around them; Sasuke can't blame them for being annoyed by that. It's a ridiculous amount of money to spend on a dance that only half of the student population can attend. This event is more hassle than its worth; there's catering, decorating, designing, getting a band/DJ, and too much other technicalities. Not to mention their school has a population of roughly 2,000 students – half of which will likely attend this dance. Procuring a venue that won't cost thousands of dollars is nearly impossible, and so it has to be held at the school – a 'travesty' if you are to ask Sakura.

For the rest of the meeting, Sasuke steers the conversation around the actual meeting plan he has laid out, addressing concerns and issues of the student body. He doesn't hear much else out of Sakura or Ino, thankfully. The other members of his council step in to fill the silence – it's unheard of that Sakura and Ino let anyone get a word in during a meeting – and things go smoothly from then on.

By the time the meeting is adjourned and everyone has already left, all thoughts of a certain blonde idiot have been pushed from his mind, replaced with considerations of what needs to be addressed to Iruka. So when he hears a knock on the door and turns to see Kiba, his mood immediately blackens once more.

"Don't give me that look," Kiba says as he moves into the room. "You brought this whole conversation on yourself."

Sasuke scowls without looking up from his meeting outline. "There's not going to be a conversation." It slipped his mind to avoid this confrontation, too absorbed with his work. Having to listen to this idiot scold him on things that do not concern him is not how the raven's day needs to end.

"Yes, there is." Kiba pulls a chair out and sits across from the raven. "I get that you have major affection issues, but there's no reason to fuck Naruto up over them. I've heard the whole story from Naruto this weekend, and honestly, I'm amazed someone can be this much of a prick."

"What bothers Naruto is not my concern."

"It is when you're the cause of it. As much time as you've spent together, I would think you'd understand a lot more about his personality. He does not let people into his life easily. Sure, he's open and nice to everyone but to actually let someone get close to him?"

Seeing that he's not going to get a comment from Sasuke, the idiot continues his rampage.

Kiba shakes his head. "That takes a lot for Naruto. And he let you in." The brunette glares at Sasuke. "And I feel responsible because I pushed him to pursue something with you, thinking that you might actually be human under all that arrogance. I do know that you're a closed off asshole, and it's even harder to get near you than it is to Naruto. Which is why I thought it was okay for Naruto to get involved with you."

Kiba sighs and runs a hand through his shaggy hair. "Why the fuck would you agree to a physical relationship with him? If you don't care about him, why let him in? Why are you using him?"

This earns a venomous glare from Sasuke. "I am not using him."

The brunette throws him an incredulous glare. "Then what are you doing? You don't lead someone on, letting them think they have a chance, and then tell them they mean nothing unless you're playing with them. Are you really that fucking cold?"

"He's getting too attached," Sasuke says harshly, surprising himself more than Kiba at the admittance. "He's spending too much time with me, and it's going to become more than physical for him."

Kiba shrugs his shoulders, not seeing the problem. "Why is that a bad thing? You like him too, Sasuke. You can't deny that. He's the only person you've ever shown an interest in. Or at least, the only person you've publicly acknowledged."

Sasuke doesn't respond, opting to glare at the rambling idiot. He takes this as permission to continue.

"Naruto doesn't understand how he feels about you, okay? I don't think he's ever really cared for someone in this capacity before. He's too busy trying to cultivate and keep his relationships ongoing, that he doesn't focus enough effort into a single one to make it something more. He had a lot of drama in the past about people not accepting him, and it's made him self-conscious. So when the one person he feels can really understand him and accept him pushes him away, you gotta see what that does."

Sasuke isn't going to deny that he knows nothing about Naruto's past, but he hardly see's why that should be of importance now. The issue at hand is that the blonde is going to expect more from Sasuke than he's going to give. Even if he does continue what they've started, it's going to hurt Naruto in the long run. Why can't either of these idiots see that Sasuke is trying to protect the blonde from further hurt?

"Look," Kiba pushes up from his chair, "if Naruto spending too much time with just you is a problem, then that can be taken care of, okay? We'll be doing evening practices here soon, and games. I'll pull Naruto away on the weekends to hang out with the rest of the guys. If the only reason you don't want him around is because you're afraid, then just reconsider." Kiba walks to the door, ready to leave. He stops and looks over his shoulder for a moment. "If the reason you don't want Naruto around is because you truly have no desire for him to be in your life, then flat out tell him and then leave him alone. He doesn't need half-hearted attention."

Sasuke closes his eyes and eases himself into calming down. He doesn't disagree with Kiba; he does need to leave Naruto alone. That's easier said than done. That meddlesome idiot doesn't understand the situation. The raven wants to keep Naruto at his side for as long as possible, but that is going to be highly toxic to the blonde. Once it reaches the point of Naruto wanting a real relationship, Sasuke will cut him off. Isn't it best that he puts a stop to it now? Is that not the most humane thing to do? Of course it's going to hurt no matter at what point he decides to do it, but Sasuke can ease it by doing it early.

Not that cutting Naruto out is going to be easy during the school year. What are they supposed to do about this project? It can't be left abandoned. Sasuke can make fairly correct guesses at many of Naruto's responses to the questions, but the blonde will not be able to do the same in return. This class is one of the final credits he needs to really seal his acceptance into his chosen university; he will not throw it away on petty things like this. If Kakashi were to find out that they stopped working together, he would certainly fail them both.

Sasuke sighs and closes the journal in front of him. As if he can concentrate on council plans right now. It frustrates him that this even concerns him. It should be no problem for Naruto to not be in his life. That he does feel some semblance of remorse at the thought of hurting the blonde just shows that Sasuke has foolishly let himself become attached in some way to Naruto. He will not concede that it's anything quixotic; just an attachment he should not have made.

The raven puts all his work back into his bag and heads for the parking lot. He needs to walk and think this through. There has to be a logical, rational approach to this that doesn't involve anything culminating into a relationship, but also doesn't involve cutting Naruto out. Pushing him away is not a luxury he has.

Sasuke's thoughts are put on hold though when he reaches the parking lot; cutting the blonde out seems like a very good idea now. Walking to that atrocious orange jeep is Naruto, accompanied by a specific blonde cheerleader. The raven's eyes narrow as Ino pulls herself into the passenger seat, laughing at something Naruto said.

More off-putting than anything is how comfortable and pleased Naruto seems with her. He doesn't seem nervous when he casts smiles at her, and you certainly wouldn't be able to tell that any drama has taken place recently between them. The jeep pulls away, taking the couple away from his sight.

If Sasuke was angry before, his entire being has just iced over. Is this how quickly Naruto can flit between people? To move from Sakura, to Sasuke, and now to Ino. A girl who, on a couple different occasions, has taken a violent attitude towards him. Seething, Sasuke stands rooted to the spot. This was one of his concerns before about even doing anything physical with the blonde. It just felt too quick that he gave up on Sakura and became interested in the raven. Now it seems he's moving on once more.

Then again, Sasuke reminds himself, there is no reason there has to be anything more than platonic feelings going on between the blonde duo. Two people can be around each other and not be into each other. Just because him and Naruto are –

 _Are what_ , Sasuke's voice echoes inside his head. Attracted to each other and moving quickly towards something more? That's too close to admitting he might be involved with the blonde. He's projecting his emotions onto the actions of others, assuming they feel the same as he does. The problem with that is, he does not accept that those are his feelings.

Sasuke knows better than to do this. Getting attached to people is one of the worst things you can do to yourself, unless you enjoy ripping yourself apart for someone else. People are inherently malicious and will hurt you – whether they have good intentions or not. Just as Naruto is probably unaware of the jealousy Sasuke feels right now; even the kindest people can't stop from causing harm.

He needs to step away from this whole ordeal. He's becoming too engrossed in something that shouldn't even be remotely distressing to him. If he needed a sign telling him to let go of whatever it is that's been happening with them, this is it. Isn't it a good thing for Naruto to move on, anyways? It'll make their withdrawal from each other easier to swallow.

Well, it will make it easier for Naruto. Sasuke, on the other hand, feels the bile of anxiety and defeat simmer in his stomach. Despite how much he works through this in his mind as the right thing for them, it feels like he's losing something important.

This pushes him over the edge, drawing the last of his patience out. That is the final straw for the day. Uchiha Sasuke will not allow himself to be dragged down to this state. If the problem can be removed, that is what will be done.

* * *

 _Are we doing this project sometime this week?_ Sasuke stares at the message that he's ignored since Monday night. With it now being Thursday morning, a reply might be in order. He's done his best to push anything about the blonde from his mind, thoroughly ignoring his existence. It's amazing what immersing yourself in homework and books can do.

There is a particular project he has been ignoring, though. Doing this assignment will mean he has to forfeit on his self-imposed isolation from Naruto. The blonde has been helpful in allowing his presence to go overlooked. Other than that text, he has not tried to speak to Sasuke, or get his attention in any way.

The raven sighs in defeat, typing out a quick response. He does not wish to sit down with Naruto and talk about their views and opinions again, but work is work and this project must be done. Sasuke can deal with the blonde for an hour or so a couple times a week. It'll be no worse than how he expected things to go at the beginning of the year.

He scoffs as he thinks back to that time – it feels like ages now. Hell, not getting along with Naruto feels like a distant memory. They covered so much ground in barely a couple of months. Then Naruto has to be an idiot and go rip it out from under them, pushing them into reverse. Honestly, that night he found Naruto, distraught in a gas station, he should have turned around and left. That one moment opened them up to this entire dilemma.

Of course, there's no way Sasuke could have turned his back on Naruto at that time. The blonde looked like he had lost everything and didn't know where to turn. Come to find out, Sasuke learned the cause of Naruto's pain and couldn't help but feel… Empathetic. The raven has been through that feeling – still goes through it when he lets himself dwell on the past, or sees his brother.

Sasuke's phone vibrates, pulling his attention to the device on the table. A message from Naruto pops up; _I don't work tonight_ is scrolled across the screen. Picking up the phone, the raven ponders if he's really up for talking with Naruto already. He sighs in annoyance; now is no time to be copping out.

 _Be at Java's by 5_ , he replies back. Sasuke stands up, grabbing his books and leaving the library. Now that his thoughts are back on Naruto, he doesn't trust himself to even attempt focusing on homework.

Turning the corner to head to homeroom, the raven warily glances the hall for any sign of a blonde idiot. "Sasuke." Upon hearing his name from a familiar voice, the raven stops and looks behind him. His eyes narrow as Ino walks up to him. "Hey, how's it going?"

"What do you want?" The raven's thoughts flash back to Monday when he saw her with Naruto. Irritation from the memory does nothing to help his mood.

Ino sighs and shakes her head before moving her long bangs out of her face. "You're always so blunt. Learn to be nice, yeah?" She rolls her eyes at the unmoving expression of disdain on Sasuke's face. "Look, I know bits and pieces of what's going on with you and Naruto. And I know that this situation is just hurting everyone involved." Ino holds her hands up as Sasuke begins to glare at her.

"Naruto didn't outright tell me anything. I saw you guys together, and he told me he wasn't going to pursue anything. Then he didn't reply to my messages that night, I knew something was up. My belief was further increased when you guys went out to lunch together." Ino sighs and looks away before continuing.

"You and Naruto are into each other, I get that. I'll do my best to dissuade Sakura from pursuing anything with you. Though I think it would be really beneficial if you would just tell her that you're gay. Even she's not foolish enough to throw herself at someone who's not even interested in woman, let alone her in particular."

Now she wants to be understanding of the situation? None of the prior times when the raven flat out told the pinkette no in front of her made it sink in? "What makes you think any of this is your business?"

Ino shrugs her shoulders. "I feel bad. I was really harsh on Naruto because I was letting my own feelings get mixed into the whole thing. That little idiot and I used to have a really good friendship till this year." Ino levels a stern glare at Sasuke. "Whether or not you like me, Naruto accepts me back into his circle. Don't think I'm gonna abandon my friendship with him just because you don't like me and Sakura."

Sasuke scoffs and starts walking away. That's enough of this pointless conversation. "You're the one who already abandoned him once."

"And you're doing the same thing now," Ino calls out from behind him. His gaze steels on the empty hall ahead, ignoring her words. He has reasons for doing what must be done; him and Naruto cannot be together, and that's final. Though, that makes two idiots now that have bothered him over his treatment of Naruto Does the blonde really have this many friends that care about him?

Sasuke rolls his eyes. Of course he does. He's one of the most energetic, outgoing and friendly people in this school. Everyone is drawn into the light he shines. He's too warm and kind for his own good. Even people like Sasuke can get ensnared by that blinding light, which will only lead to being hurt.

Who exactly is in harm's way, the raven can't tell anymore.

So when Sasuke pulls himself into homeroom, he doesn't look over to see if the blonde is there – though he can see that mop of hair from his peripheral vision. He goes to his seat next to the window, lays his books down, and trains his eyes on the horizon. He doesn't show any sign that Naruto even exists in his world. What good would it do? The moment he gives in to this ache inside that increases when that boy is near, everything will crumble. All his effort to keep them from becoming _something_ will be rendered useless.

Perhaps it would be for the best if he let them both get hurt from this. Naruto would learn a lesson on why it's foolish to involve yourself with people, and Sasuke would have a reminder of why he made that rule for himself years ago.

But to do that would be the worst thing Sasuke could do. Blatantly disregarding his and Naruto's feelings just to prove a point? It wouldn't just be Naruto getting hurt anymore. Sasuke knows how he would respond if he had another person taken away from him; he doesn't even need to consider that outcome.

The raven would fall apart, that he is sure.


	11. Attitudes

**Author's Note :** Thank you for the reviews! I just want to mention really quick that I do take everyone's comments into consideration, and see if there's any way I can work something into the story that will answer your question/concern/view. Even if it's just a little minor detail, I take it seriously and see if there's any way I can answer it.

On that note, I do love suggestions, and it would be really awesome if you can leave them logged in under an actual user, and not a guest. Of course, if you don't have an account then just ignore me! But I do reply in PM to every suggestion/question that gets posted as a review, and it breaks my heart when I can't get a hold of someone because it's a guest account!

Another little thing is, I love how into this story all my followers and reviewers are, but it can be a little... Discouraging when I get "please update soon" the same day I release a chapter. I'm the type of person who takes that to heart and then wants to pop out another chapter in a couple days. This has been my problem in the past and why my updates would be sporadic and never kept me accountable for posting. So maybe instead of "update soon" you could say "can't wait till next week" :) (just a suggestion don't hate me please).

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 **Beta's Note :** Yaaayyyyyy a new chapter. I've been poking at AJ asking her if she has anything new for me to read over because I've been wanting to continue reading lol. I hope you all enjoy, there's some cute stuff ahead. Naru is finally returning to his boys. ❤

Tying off on what AJ said in her note I'd like to add that as much as we are aware that you want to continue reading when she just barely posts a chapter and gets reviews asking for updates soon it can be slightly annoying. We aren't mad at anyone for asking for updates but with the goal of every Monday that should hopefully be enough. Writing 10,000 words can be tough when you're working and have a life. She can't be expected to be writing that in a mere couple of days. We have both agreed a chapter a week should be plenty considering her consistent length. Some authors will upload one chapter that is 15,000 and then one that is maybe 8,000. Just chillax, trust me I especially understand your want to continue reading this story but there are also so many other lovely stories that can be read in the meantime while waiting for an update.

With that being said, we aren't mad though! Please don't take it that way. We both love reading the reviews and we love all of you who are reviewing or even just reading. You're all such lovely readers and we hope you enjoy. Keep leaving your suggestions and we will be back next Monday with another great update.

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 **Main Pairing : Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)**

 **Disclaimer : I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse.  
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 **Reviews are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews; though constructive criticism is welcome.**

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 **Chapter 11 : Attitudes**

* * *

Naruto shivers faintly, sitting in his rapidly cooling jeep. He couldn't sleep and then he couldn't eat, leading him to come to school fairly early. He's not ready to go inside just yet; who knows whom he might run into? Dealing with people has not been his strong suit this week.

Naruto has never been good with sharing his feelings. He will gladly yell at you until he gets his point across, but very seldom does it convey the reasons for why he was upset in the first place. So, when Sasuke flat out told the blonde that he basically means nothing to him, Naruto was shocked at his loss of words.

A shock that carried over to the weekend and bothered him to no end, causing him to breakdown and consult his best friend and confidant. Kiba was mostly understanding, but still annoyed about the physical relationship. He said, none too discreetly, that Naruto is a fool for thinking he could keep emotions out of the picture – especially after the previous conversations they've had.

Though he got to clear his head on the whole thing and talk it out, Naruto feels more confused than ever. The whole thing is just so troubling. He thought he was making great progress with Sasuke – on a friendly and personal level – and then the raven goes and tells Naruto that he means nothing. It's confusing and painful and Naruto just doesn't _get it_.

How can someone be so ready and willing to push people out of their life? Sasuke never once seemed bothered by spending their free time together. If anything, Naruto thought he was the one person Sasuke could get along with. Apparently, that was the wrong assumption to make. Now, Naruto has been kicked out of the raven's life, like he was never there to begin – and that hurts.

Naruto has dealt with being hated, shunned, and bullied. He's been told his existence is a waste of space while having some kid's fist come hurling towards his face. But being outright ignored by someone he cares for? That's a new experience. One that he can't say he's enjoying too much.

What can a guy do, though? If Sasuke doesn't want him in his life, he's not going to force his way there. Sakura proved that to be a futile effort. That girl isn't even half as stubborn as Sasuke, either. Besides, Naruto is tired of chasing people who will never care. He wants to be wanted back for once.

Which brings him to where he is now. He's played Sasuke's game all week; the 'You don't see me – I don't see you' game. Naruto can pretend someone doesn't exist as well. The last time he tried to get ahold of Sasuke was Monday evening, and that was only at Ino's prodding.

At the thought of his blonde friend, Naruto blushes. Ino had asked him to hang out after practice so she could talk to him about stuff. Naruto suspected "stuff" meant he was going to endure another "are you and Sasuke really just friends" conversation. In which case, Naruto's response was going to be, "no, Ino. No, we're not. Apparently, friends was even too much to ask for."

Ino had a bomb of her own to drop, one that Naruto was not prepared for, and was not in the least bit concerned about what him and Sasuke may or may not be doing behind closed doors. It still makes him blush, three days later. The blonde cheerleader's interest in her best friend seems to be more than just platonic. Ino understands Naruto's pain quite well – seeing as she harbors romantic feelings for Sakura. Of course Sakura is too boy crazy – or Sasuke crazy – for Ino to ever confess this to the pinkette.

For a good three hours that Monday, the two blondes brooded around Java's, pouring out their bisexual worries to each other. Naruto with his rejection and sudden avoidance of Sasuke. Ino with her love for Sakura and having to keep it to herself while she supports her friend.

When Naruto asked why she would put herself through that, she sadly stated it was due to not being able to deal with what Naruto is going through. If Sakura were to panic and push Ino out of her life, the blonde wouldn't know what to do. Naruto felt a pan of sympathy at that. It's not a walk in the park, he can say that much.

Since then, Ino and Kiba have become adamantly protective of Naruto. Ino shows her support by not giving Naruto a moment's peace; his phone is continuously going off from something she sent. Usually a hilarious picture or video that puts him back in good spirits momentarily. Kiba has ordered him to come over for dinner every night this week, an offer he's taken up. Naruto is supposed to stay the night this weekend and hang out with the usual group.

Basically, they're trying to get Naruto back to how it was before _him_. He understands that, but it also depresses him. The blonde never really realized how much of his time he was giving to just Sasuke. Now that he's aware, he feels even more miserable about their fallout. How do you go from spending days per week – every week – together, and then just ignore someone's existence?

Naruto sighs, running a hand through his hair. Oh well. It's not the first person to have walked away from him. Just the first to hurt this much. The blonde can't even recall past feelings of animosity he held towards Sasuke to ease the pain. Everything is just tinged with this familiar shade of sadness. It overrules everything else, not really caring how much pain it causes.

The blonde groans. He's letting this get to him too much. He didn't want to get involved with Sasuke in the first place because he knew it wouldn't work. He should have ignored all of Kiba's helpful advice. Not that he'll say that out loud; he can tell the mutt feels bad for the whole situation and blames himself. No matter whose fault anything is, this whole thing is a mistake.

Sasuke is not a person you get involved with and not expect to get hurt. He seems to be a one-night stand type of person: No problem with letting someone close to his body, but he's gone before anything deeper can come from it. Even if "deeper" is a figment of his imagination.

Naruto was fine with the way their relationship was going. He got to keep Sasuke close to him, and also experience all these new things. Things he can't even imagine doing with someone else. Sexual or not. The raven couldn't see it like that. Naruto's views on their relationship were unwelcome, as well as the blonde himself.

Naruto's phone vibrates in the passenger seat where he tossed it while getting in this morning. He smiles and shakes his head, figuring its Ino with something random to break him out of his thoughts. Imagine his surprise as the name "Teme" flashes onto his screen, message locked from view. Naruto stares at the harmless little notification incredulously until the screen goes black.

God, he's not up for dealing with Sasuke for an assignment yet; he knows that what it's about. The raven wouldn't be contacting him if it wasn't for academic achievement. It's not like they have a choice, though. Naruto highly doubts Kakashi would switch the groups up halfway through. He wouldn't mind being partnered with Lee and letting Sakura deal with her precious Sasuke. Naruto snorts at the thought; it's a sad day when Lee is a preferable partner.

Naruto leans his forehead on the steering wheel and unlocks his phone, looking at the simple text. When are you available? Closing his eyes, he wills the nerves to go back down. It's going to have to be today. Kiba would flip if he cancelled over Sasuke.

The blonde sends back a quick message before getting out of his jeep. He can't tell if he's shivering from the cold or from nerves, but either way, it's time to go inside and face the music.

* * *

Sasuke is still playing the game.

He didn't once look in Naruto's direction – at least, the blonde assumes. He can't be for sure since he's making a point not to look at him either. He can say he didn't once feel like he was being watched, or see any more than the profile of Sasuke's face in his peripheral vision.

"Dude, you've gotta eat," Kiba berates him for the third time.

Naruto sighs in exasperation. As if he wants to be wasting his ramen. "I have no appetite." How could he? He has to meet up with that jerk later. How are they going to do an assignment together when they won't even look at each other?

"What happened?" The mutt turns his full attention to the blonde, demanding an answer.

"Nothing, really. I've just got to do the project with him tonight."

Kiba narrows his eyes. "You're not going to be alone, right?"

Naruto rolls his eyes. "No, we'll be at Java's."

"Good." Kiba huffs and returns to his food. "Still coming over Friday?"

Nodding in approval, Naruto absentmindedly twirls his fork around, catching far too many noodles.

"Man, you've got it bad." Kiba sighs and shakes his head. "If things somehow work out for you guys, you've still got my vote."

Naruto looks up dully. Poor Kiba, always the optimist. "Sasuke hates me." Naruto holds up his hands in a "stop" motion. "Actually, scratch that. He doesn't even care enough to hate me. I mean nothing to him."

"That's not true." Naruto raises a disbelieving eyebrow at his friend. "If he didn't care, he wouldn't be trying to save you the hurt."

"What?" Naruto shakes his head in sympathy for his friend's blindness. "He isn't trying to save me from anything, Kiba. He told me where my place is in his life. Nowhere."

Kiba shrugs his shoulders. "I don't pretend to understand emo Uchiha's and how their thought processes work. I just know that he's trying to keep you from ripping your heart out further down the line."

Too late, Naruto thinks glumly. Heart has been put through the shredder. No salvage available.

"Just lay low for a bit longer, okay? Nobody can resist a guy playing hard to get."

Naruto snorts in mock amusement. "Sasuke probably prefers when people play hard to get. Means they'll leave him the fuck alone."

"It'll get better, okay? You're probably the first person to get close to him in years. The poor, startled fawn is just panicking."

Naruto can't help but laugh, running a palm over his eyes. That's not a way he's ever imagined Sasuke. It's usually more along the lines of irritated snake bearing its fangs.

The blonde never was much for getting bit.

* * *

Stepping into Java's brings a comforting sense of familiarity to Naruto, that's promptly overshadowed by dread. He doesn't even need to turn his attention to the alcove booth to know Sasuke there. Plenty of hostile-intent is rolling off of the area to indicate his presence.

Instead of going straight back to confront the demon at his table, Naruto makes his usual stop at the counter. It's just AJ working, no help to be seen. "You need another barista," he tells her before giving his order.

"Funny you should mention that. I have an interview with a girl here in a bit. She comes highly recommended by Sai."

"Oh God, AJ." Naruto groans out, closing his eyes and willing away the dread. "Please, not another sociopath. One is too much already."

"Sai is just quirky."

Is Naruto really expected to believe that? "He's Satan."

AJ throws the blonde a reprimanding glare. "He needs friends to help him learn good social manners."

Yeah, right. He'd probably chop anyone stupid enough to get close into little pieces. Then use the bits to try to reel in new, psycho friends to continue with. Of course, Naruto is pretty certain that he'd rather work with Sai right now, then go and sit with a malevolent Sasuke.

Naruto sighs and turns to the source of his fear; the raven is sitting, all perfectly composed. Maybe it's just been a while since Naruto looked directly at him, but damn if that jerk isn't looking good. The navy blue sweater he's thrown on makes his too pale skin look like it's glowing, and even while sitting down, Naruto can tell his jeans fit perfectly.

The blonde resists running a hand over his eyes. He does not need to be ogling Sasuke right now. That does not help his cause. He needs to get through this meeting with as little drama as possible.

Walking over to Sasuke might be one of the hardest things Naruto has done in his life. With every fiber of his being telling him just to walk out the door instead, it feels like he's pulling himself apart to sit down across from the raven. Even now, with the object of his affections in front of him, he can't bring himself to lift his eyes from the table. Maybe because he knows he's not wanted.

Sasuke lets out a fractious sigh, bringing Naruto's eyes upwards. The raven's eyes aren't half as bitter as Naruto expected them to be, but he's still looking as annoyed as ever.

"Are you ready?" Naruto winces at hearing _that_ voice. It's been nearly a week since Sasuke spoke to him. The blonde can't decide if the increased beating of his heart is from being distressed or excited.

"Yeah, teme. Let's get it done." Naruto breathes in deeply and works to compose himself.

"Question one," the raven launches in, "what is the definition of an attitude in psychology?"

Naruto glances at the top of the assignment, seeing that this week's segment is on Attitudes. Of fucking course it is, he thinks bitterly. The one thing both of these boys have definitely got in common.

"An attitude," Sasuke answers without waiting any longer for Naruto to respond, "is a person's thoughts and feelings on any given topic or thing. In psychology, attitude is not just someone's basic behavior, but the individual feelings someone has towards many different topics. People have an attitude concerning everything in their life and the things they experience."

Naruto tries to understand this. To him, and attitude is just the way a person presents themselves. Usually, it ends up being a bad thing if someone has an 'attitude'. "So, my view that ramen is the best food ever is an attitude?"

Sasuke scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Yes, dobe. Continuing. Do your attitudes tend to be positive or negative?"

Naruto can answer that one for Sasuke with ease – he takes a negative attitude with life in general. As for himself, "I try to be positive with things. It makes life easier not to just walk around hating everything and having a bad experience, and I feel it draws more people in to keep a positive attitude."

"It depends on the subject if I will take a positive or negative attitude, though I tend to be disappointed with experiences more often than not. Things usually end up being a waste of time."

"Only because you let them." Naruto rolls his eyes, holding up a hand to signify he's not pushing this. "Question three. "How do your general attitudes affect how you act?" The blonde shrugs his shoulders. "I think I stay fairly happy, more or less. I mean, there are for sure things that bother the fuck out of me, but I try not to let my attitude stay bad for too long. It just leads to more problems."

At the silence he's greeted with upon finishing his answer, Naruto glances up to see what's taking Sasuke so long to reply. The raven's gaze is trained on something out the window, and Naruto is surprised to see a faint trace of despondency in his features.

"My attitudes are the reason I am who I am, and act the way I do. I cannot change that." Sasuke looks back to Naruto, searching for something in the blonde's expression at this admission of his. "Even you, dobe, cannot change me."

Naruto sighs and leans back in his seat. For the first time since he got here, he can comfortably look at Sasuke. Some chink was just taken out of his armor, making him appear human again "I don't want to change you, Sasuke. Not in the least. I just…" Just what? What does he want from the raven that's not going to send him running for good? "I just want you around, you know?"

Sasuke's gaze doesn't soften, but it doesn't grow bitter either. "Moving on. How do your beliefs affect your attitude?" The raven waits for Naruto to voice his thoughts first, raising one perfectly arched eyebrow.

"I guess my beliefs make me have really open ideas and views towards things, so that in turn helps me have positive attitudes. On the same note though, if I disagree with something due to my beliefs, then I'm gonna take a pretty bad attitude with it right from the start." Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "I don't really have a middle ground."

"My beliefs help me keep a level outlook when going into a new experience and the attitude I will form based on it. I value my beliefs and opinions highly, so they do greatly affect my attitudes."

You can say that again. Naruto is sure Sasuke's base belief is that he's a god, and every demeaning attitude he forms about things is just stemming off from that.

"Final question." Naruto trails his eyes down the page till he reaches it. "How do your attitudes change, given a particular situation?" Listed below the question are three examples that Naruto supposes their meant to answer. "Meeting a person different from yourself." The blonde thinks about it for a moment. "I guess it depends on how different, and what their attitude and personality towards me is. I'm not going to form a good attitude and opinion about someone who's not giving me a positive attitude in return. So I guess for that example, it just depends on how we respond to each other."

"My attitude upon meeting new people is neutral, until they prove themselves to be useless."

Naruto sends a pointed stare Sasuke's way. "What if they prove themselves to be worth your time?"

Returning the heavy gaze, Sasuke replies with "it doesn't happen very often, dobe."

Sighing, the blonde rolls his eyes. He's not even going to let this rile him today. It's not the first time he's been told this, and probably won't be the last. Instead, he reads off the next example. "How would you respond with encountering a new environment that you're not familiar with?"

"With the same neutral attitude. I would be getting my bearings about me and learning quickly how to proceed with the new environment. Again, my attitude would develop the longer I was there to process the situation."

"I get really excited and happy when I get tossed into a new environment, because it's something different to explore and learn. So my initial attitude would be positive. Of course, plenty of events can come about that will make me be negative about the whole thing. That usually switches back to positive though, once I get over it."

Sasuke reads off the final scenario. "How would your attitude change if you were trying something new that scares you?"

Naruto lets out a low whistle, thinking that one over. "For me, fight or flight kicks in. Usually fight. So while my attitude will probably be negative, I'll greet it head on and just deal with it, hoping that something positive will come of it."

"I would greet it negatively," simple and direct response from Sasuke, "and avoid the situation, most likely."

This stuns the blonde a bit. Was Kiba correct in his assumption that Sasuke is just scared of what's going on? That by letting someone get close to him, it's too different and needs to be shunned for that simple reason?

"Is that why you're avoiding me?" Naruto is not backing down now. Sasuke will only go two ways on this – ignore the question completely, or answer. He can only answer with yes or no, and the blonde can't decide which would trouble him more.

"I'm avoiding you because this was a mistake."

"A mistake," Naruto repeats slowly, eyes narrowing. "Like you just accidentally decided you wanted to fuck around with me?"

The blonde can tell from the way Sasuke's eyes flicker over his expression that he's gaging what will make Naruto blow up. "My interest in you is not an accident. Thinking that it was okay to pursue anything with you was."

Naruto shakes his head, trying to keep the impatience about this whole mess hidden. "I don't get that, teme. I really don't. We were fine one day, and then you just bail. I don't understand what I did." The blonde lifts wide, searching eyes to Sasuke. "How did I fuck up without even realizing I was?"

The raven lets out a hard sigh, leaning back in the booth and glancing away from Naruto. "It's not that you did anything currently. I'm looking towards the future."

Eh? Confusion sweeps across the blondes face. "Wait," he says – finally letting himself be riled, "I'm being punished for something that hasn't even occurred yet? Just what you're assuming is going to happen?"

Receiving nothing but a raised eyebrow in response, Naruto's patience are done in.

"Fucking seriously, teme? You're doing this over something you're not even sure will really happen?" Naruto points a figure at him, ordering him to halt whatever response is forming on his lips. "I already told you, I'm not in love with you."

Growling low in his throat, he glares at the raven. "As if I could fall in love with such an asshole. I just like you, okay? And I'm not even sure what sort of like that is yet. It might just be friends – though, I do find you a lot more attractive than I do any other friend – and it might be an actual crush." He shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know. But I'll be damned if I'm going to let your sullen attitude ruin something we were both enjoying."

"And if I still refuse to stay involved with you?" Naruto tries his best to hold back a grin, but he can see Sasuke struggling to keep the corners of his mouth not to tilt up in a smirk. This asshole just enjoys pushing his buttons, doesn't he?

"Maybe you're worth chasing after, teme. And you know I can run for a long time."

Sasuke scoffs, rolling his eyes. "I thought you were above such games now, dobe."

Naruto stands, stretching out slowly before packing up his stuff. "I'd rather play this game then the shun-my-existence one, you know?"

The raven follows suit in getting ready to leave, standing up next to the blonde. Naruto's face breaks out in a red hue at their proximity; it's been a while since he could just reach a hand out and touch this boy.

Sasuke lays a hand on the table, bracing himself as he leans towards the blonde, leaving almost no space between their chests as he whispers low against Naruto's ear. "I'm telling you dobe, you don't want to play games with me."

Naruto scolds himself mentally as he shivers in response; that tells him all he needs to know about what he does or does not want to do with Sasuke. The blonde takes a shaky step back, casting heavy eyes up to the raven's own dark expression. "You're not doing very well at discouraging me, teme."

Sasuke scoffs lightly, rolling his eyes before pushing himself back up. "I'll see you at school tomorrow." The raven moves himself around Naruto. Whether he purposefully brushes himself against Naruto's side or not, the blonde doesn't know.

He does know that his mind is all jumbled, his body is broken out in tingles, and he feels like a huge weight has been lifted from his shoulders. God, he really can't deal with Sasuke not being in his life, can he? He never thought he'd see the day.

Now that he thinks about it though, there hasn't been a time since they met that they really purposefully ignored each other. Sure, they didn't hunt the other one out, but there was no pointed silence between them. Maybe, in some way, Sasuke was always there.

"He has that affect, doesn't he?" Naruto looks up sharply to see a girl with dirty blonde hair smirking at him. Something about her seems vaguely familiar, but he can't place where he might have seen her before.

"Um," Naruto runs a hand along the back of his neck nervously, "can I help you?"

"No," the girl drawls out mischievously, "you can't. I know what I'm here for." She eyes Naruto appraisingly. "However, I can probably help you."

This girl beyond confuses the poor blonde, not sure where she's coming from or going or anything else. He can't handle two confusing people in a span of ten minutes. "Actually," Naruto says while backing up, "I think I'm good." He nods at her cautiously. "Have a nice day."

She smiles at him cheerily. "You too." There is something familiar and off-putting about that smile, but Naruto is not hanging around to figure it out. He shakes his head and pulls open the door, casting one last confused glance at the strange girl.

* * *

Roaming a lazy eye over his students, Kakashi is not pleased to see two particular boys still ignoring each other. Well, perhaps that isn't the right word. Naruto did nod at Sasuke when he came through the door, throwing him a flashy smile that just screamed mischief. All it did was earn an eye roll from Sasuke, though.

Point is, they're not with each other. They have backtracked on whatever progress was implemented. This just will not do. Kakashi will have to come up with some way to make them spend time together.

He is a teacher after all. If he gives them a little assignment on school time, they can't argue. The only reason he's not concerned about their actual project is because this is Sasuke. He's not going to let his academics suffer, no matter the issue.

When the bell rings dismissing 3rd period, Kakashi calls for both of them to stay. Naruto looks as confused as ever, and Sasuke just looks annoyed. Kakashi contains a smile at the eye roll he knows the boy wants to give. The little Uchiha is no fool; he's aware that something is going to happen.

"Maa, I have a request to make of you two." Kakashi leans his chin into a cupped palm, surveying both of them with an eye smile. "During what should be 7th period, I need you to grade some papers of mine. It seems I'm a bit behind." Which is a half lie; by anyone else's standards, he has neglected grading papers. In reality though, Kakashi just has a habit of saving them for the weekend and getting them all done in one go.

Naruto sputters huffily. "That's not fair! That's free time!"

"Only because I don't do a lecture for Social Psychology. Really, you're time from 2:30 to 3:30 belongs to me, doesn't it?"

This shuts the blonde up, but doesn't ease the glare he's receiving.

"You don't need both of us to help. Choose one." Now Sasuke has decided to put his two cents in.

Kakashi mock sighs in despair. "There's just so much work. I'm afraid I will need both of you." Sasuke's eyes narrow and the silver haired teacher can read that he's working something out.

"Fine, we'll do it," Sasuke answers for both of them. Naruto turns wide eyes to him, about to start muttering out indignations to him as well. Sasuke holds up a hand, effectively muting him. "We'll deal with it, dobe. Now please leave. I want to talk to Kakashi privately."

 _Oh_? What ever have I done to warrant private treatment, Kakashi wonders amusedly.

Naruto sighs and runs a hand through his hair. Dropping his arm back to his side, he shakes his head. "Alright, I'll see you later." He nods at Sasuke and turns away, walking out the door and heading to his next class, which he'll probably be late for. Oh well.

"What are you scheming?" Not beating around the bush, Sasuke bites the question out the moment they're alone.

"Maa, I don't know what you mean." Kakashi smiles at him jauntily, but it doesn't fool the raven for a moment. He always was too perceptive.

"It doesn't make sense. Social Psychology is a lecture-style class; it is meant to be studied with debates and cases. Not only did you split the class off in pairs instead of groups, you put extremely unlikely-to-succeed students together. Me and Naruto? Sakura and Lee?" Sasuke narrows his eyes into angry slits. "You formed groups that would have a difficult time getting along. Did you want us all to fail?"

Kakashi sighs in seriousness, shaking his head. "The opposite, Sasuke. I put you together to show that you can succeed."

"Naruto and I cannot." Sasuke says this with an infliction that conveys he's not talking about the project. "I don't know what you're playing at or why you want us together, but it won't happen."

"Why not? It's not a problem with Naruto; we both know that." Kakashi gives a soft smile. "You just have to change your mindset a bit, Sasuke. Then it can work."

"I don't need to change anything." Sasuke seethes these words out; Kakashi has struck a nerve.

"Perhaps not change, but compromise. You can't walk through your life thinking everyone is going to turn their back on you, Sasuke. It'll get you nowhere."

"It's gotten me here." The raven sighs and casts his gaze towards the door. He's ready to run now. "People prove it to be true too often." He says this last part so softly that at first Kakashi isn't sure he heard correctly. Ah, so we get to the root of the problem.

Kakashi is a bit more privy into the life of the youngest Uchiha than Sasuke would probably care to know; Itachi was one of his first students and highly respected by the silver haired teacher. So when the elder Uchiha asked for favors and recommendations his senior year, Kakashi was not one to say no. It might have been the silver haired man's first year teaching, but he had made quite the name for himself during high school and university. A goal Itachi was striving for as well.

That was also the year that things went to hell for the Uchiha boys. A matter that encouraged and pressured Itachi into doing as much as was humanly possible to, in order to gain custody rights of Sasuke. It wasn't enough just to be there; he had to prove he was, without a doubt, the best candidate to raise his little brother.

Unfortunately, this meant long hours of not paying attention to Sasuke during a crucial time of development. Itachi had always been his idol; the one person he strived to be like and use as a role model. To lose his parents, and then lose his brothers attention during the grieving period broke something inside the young boy, creating this present ball of emotional-malevolence standing before him. As far as Sasuke is concerned, Itachi turned from him. It doesn't matter that he was doing it to keep him – it matters that he wasn't there.

Understanding this does not help Kakashi fix the raven's attitude, and he can't just pop out and admit he knows all this. That would infuriate Sasuke further and turn him away. All Kakashi can do is keep sidestepping the situation and hoping something sticks.

"Naruto is a very unpredictable person," Kakashi settles on saying. "Maybe he'll surprise you, if you give him a chance."

Sasuke turns cynical eyes onto the teacher once more, before shaking his head and walking out.

Well, that went better than planned.

* * *

Until lunchtime, when he's hunted down by one of his least favorite people.

"You really think you're gonna win this?" Anko slides a chair up next to Kakashi and sits down, grinning like the Cheshire cat the whole time.

So much for a peaceful lunch hour reading. This is why the silver haired teacher tends to hide during his free time. "Maa, Anko, how are you today?"

She laughs mischievously. "Don't even be like that. You know you're losing."

Kakashi doesn't bother to raise his eyes from his book. "On the contrary, I believe I'm winning."

She raises a disbelieving eyebrow. "How so?"

Kakashi sighs and lazily lifts a hand, counting off couples as he speaks their names. "Haru and Natsuki are in an established relationship, as are Shikamaru and Temari. I made a poor judgment call and put Ino and Choji together, as well as Sakura and Lee. But that situation seems to have righted itself on its own." It was a rather shocking bit of information when he found out that Ino has an unrequited crush of her own – the perks of eavesdropping.

Anko cuts him off. "I don't hear anything about Naruto and Sasuke." A smug grin is plastered on her face. "Where's their 'established relationship', hm?"

Kakashi resists rolling his eyes. "It's coming along. Don't worry about it."

Anko laughs evilly. "Just admit it, Hatake! You can't get them together."

"Maa, they are together. Just not _established_."

"Well, if Sakura keeps flirting with Sasuke, he may just be stolen away from the little blonde." There's a knowing glint in Anko's eyes. One that makes Kakashi a bit more alert to the situation.

"Sakura's sudden… Tenacity wouldn't have anything to do with you, now would it?" Kakashi levels a fake smile at her. "Because you are sorely mistaken if you think that girl can pull Sasuke away from Naruto."

Anko stands up. "Oh, I don't know about that. Women have a way of wooing men." Women, sure. But not annoying little bubblegum brats. Kakashi sighs and shakes his head. He feels sorry for Sasuke; the only reason Sakura seems to be bothering him so much this semester is because Anko is trying to use some tricks of her own. Not that they're very good.

"If you wanna win this bet, you better move faster, Hatake. Those boys aren't gonna be any closer to a relationship at this pace." Anko gives one final cheeky smile before walking away.

What does she expect? Kakashi to go up to them and order them to start dating? That would go over real well. Both boys have too many issues to work out for this to go quickly. The silver haired teacher is sure of his chances of winning this bet, but that doesn't mean he doesn't feel the fire. He had hoped that they would already be working through things at this point.

Sasuke is being too stubborn though, something Kakashi should have accounted for. But when he originally set up his plan, it was Naruto he was worried about. He thought it would take some time for the blonde to admit he could be interested in a guy. Thus the careful planning out of the early assignments and the method of delivering information. He had to be sure they had enough time to get used to each other and establish some grounds of trust before he started creating any doubt in the blonde over his sexuality.

Kakashi sighs. It's not like there's anything more he can do this week. He's already got the boys thrown together for last period grading. All he can do is hope they have some sort of breakthrough.

* * *

Breakthroughs seem far and few between to Naruto. When Sasuke arrives at the classroom to see his own stack of papers sitting on Kakashi's desk with a _have a fun afternoon_ note stuck to the front, it's like his already sullen attitude plummets straight to dreadful. He grips the papers so tightly Naruto can see the creases forming in the white sheets.

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto eyes the raven cautiously. Something has definitely ruffled his feathers today, and Naruto doesn't think it's anything he's done. Sasuke wasn't even this pissed off yesterday when they had to deal with each other for the first time in a week.

This leaves Kakashi as a definite possibility. Whatever the raven wanted to talk to him about in private must have been a sore topic. He did seem pretty eager to get Naruto out of the picture, what with just agreeing to this stupid grading session so easily.

"What's up with you?" Naruto raises a concerned eyebrow at the glare sent his way. No words are spoken from the raven, who takes a seat next to the window. It's awfully chilly in here, Naruto thinks in amusement. After everything this jerk has put him through this week, the blonde is finding it rather hard to be sympathetic. Especially given that his sympathy would be rejected, anyways.

The blonde sighs, looking over his papers in misery. Not only does he have to deal with an angry Uchiha, he's also been subjected to doing someone else's work. A teachers, no less. For someone so apparently successful, Kakashi certainly appears lazy. Maybe it's a genius thing Naruto thinks as he pictures Shika. That boy isn't motivated to do anything either.

The papers Kakashi wants graded have something to do with one of his other psychology classes. No wonder he doesn't want to deal with them. Like a light bulb going off, Naruto quickly glances over to Sasuke, a question poised on his tongue. "Teme, when are we doing the second assignment for the week?

Sasuke scoffs, not turning his attention to Naruto in the least. That one outtake of breath is the only indication that he even heard the blonde. Naruto waits for a few moments, seeing if Sasuke is just composing an answer for him. When nothing comes in the form of a response, Naruto is noticeably vexed.

"You can't just ignore me, you know." The blonde practically growls the words out, trying his best to contain his bubbling anger. He's not doing so well on that front, especially when Sasuke does open his mouth.

Not bothering to glance up from his papers, Sasuke mutters a quick "shut up, dobe."

"Oh, so you can talk long enough to insult me?" Naruto kicks back in his seat, giving his full, heated attention to the boy sitting across the room. No response. The blonde sighs, quickly standing from his seat and grabbing the stack of papers, throwing them back onto Kakashi's desk. "I really don't have the patience to deal with you. This attitude of yours blows." Naruto doesn't check to see if this has Sasuke's attention or not – he really doesn't care at the moment. Instead, he turns on his heels and leaves the room, fuming all the way to his locker.

The blonde starts throwing his books in his bag, ready to go home and forget about this whole week. He's had enough attitudes thrown his way, thank you. But when he slings his bag over his shoulder and starts to head towards the stairs, he stands rooted to the spot.

This is not going to get them anywhere. Storming off and fighting and letting things continue poorly is not the key to getting Sasuke back on his side. He _knows_ that. It's just not easy to do what you know is the right thing. Particularly when avoidance seems so much better.

Avoidance is their poison though, Naruto realizes suddenly. There's so much that they're not doing or saying. The blonde sighs. He drops his bag by his locker and forces himself to turn back to the room, propelling himself to get this over and out.

Sasuke looks up at Naruto's sudden reappearance, a mix of shock and annoyance painted on his face. He narrows his eyes in a sharp glare as the blonde comes to stand directly in front of his desk, leaning over it to be in his face.

"Look, you piss me off, and I don't understand you half the time, but I'm not giving up. Something has to give eventually, and I can wait for it. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna sit here and take your shit like one of your obedient little fangirls."

Naruto keeps his eyes locked on Sasuke's, not breaking despite the animosity he sees there. "I don't get what goes on in your head, and I don't know what happened to make you so closed off. I won't promise that I can change or help you, but I can promise that I'll be there." Naruto pushes off the desk, taking a step back. "You just gotta give me the ability to do so, teme."

Letting out a shaky breath, the blonde runs a hand through his hair as he feels the blush start to creep along his cheeks. He was close enough to the raven that he could have kissed him – the only fact that's really sticking in Naruto's mind right now.

"Dobe." Naruto's eyes slide back to Sasuke, who's evaluating him with wariness. The raven shakes his head, dropping his gaze back down. "We'll do the next assignment Sunday. We can figure out a time later."

Naruto can't help it; he smiles. "Alright, teme. Sunday."

* * *

Kiba eyes Naruto suspiciously, causing the blonde to exclaim in frustration. "What?" They've been out here doing one on one goal practice for twenty minutes, and the mutt hasn't let up once. He kicks the ball with a bit more force than necessary, almost losing his balance on the frozen field.

Unfazed, Kiba stops it with his foot and continues to stare Naruto down. "You seem too happy. What's up?"

Naruto shrugs his shoulders, suddenly feeling sheepish. "So what? I can't be happy these days?"

"That's the way it's been lookin'." Kiba kicks the ball back to Naruto casually. "You and Sasuke kiss and make up?"

Naruto scoffs, a full-blown blush now adorning his face. "As if," he mutters. "I just told him how it is and he seemed to be accepting of it."

"Really?" The shock that colors the mutts voice makes Naruto second-guess this view. Kiba must notice this, because he softens his features. "I'm just surprised that he's cool with you guys again."

"Well, he didn't say that." Naruto bites his lip, becoming more and more anxious. Did he read too much into Sasuke's words? The raven hardly says anything, so when he does speak, Naruto tends to infer more out of it than is actually there. Or that's the way it seems, anyways.

"Look," Kiba speaks with a soothing authority, "just give it some time, and see where you guys end up. Let Sasuke have some time to cool down."

"I just…" Naruto runs a hand through his hair roughly, "I worry that if I leave him alone too long, it'll give him time to completely erase me, you know?"

Kiba snorts in amusement. "It's not possible to erase you, idiot. Once you get to someone, that's it. I stand by what I told you months ago. You're the only person Sasuke has ever shown an interest in, even before you guys started this." Kiba waves a hand towards Naruto, as if that can encompass what "this" is.

"Stop it, mutt. You're gonna make me blush." Naruto gives a cheeky grin to his best friend, who breaks out in a loud laugh.

"Too late for that, man. You've been red since I said your boyfriend's name."

Growling, Naruto kicks the ball hard, shooting it upwards towards the mutts face. Kiba laughs again and dodges it easily.

"Come on, let's get out of here and go eat." Naruto's stomach growls at the mention of food, and not just any. Kiba's mother's cooking. That woman is amazing at home cooked meals. Naruto strives to be able to cook things that amazing someday. Some things, Naruto reasons, just take a mother's touch.

Not that he would know, of course, but it still stands as valid reasoning.

It doesn't take them very long to reach Kiba's house; he lives pretty close to downtown, so his mom can be close to her work. The vet clinic is her pride and joy – second to her children, of course. Naruto grins at the thought of Kiba's mom; she's a piece of work.

Naruto prepares himself for what's about to come; he knows the moment that door gets opened, he needs to get out of Kiba's way or else he'll be run down. Sure enough, the moment the door clicks shut, a huge white ball of fur comes flying into the room, plowing straights into Kiba.

Laughing, Kiba ruffles the dog's ears roughly. "Hey, Akamaru. Miss me?" The Giant Pyrenees lets out a playful growl, continuing to head-butt Kiba as they roughhouse.

"Obviously, mutt." Naruto mutters out, shaking his head at the giant dog. "Hey, Tsume." Naruto bellows out enthusiastically, stepping into the foyer of Kiba's house. Hearing her name called, Kiba's mom comes to the dining room to see who it is. Her face breaks out in a grin when she spots the blonde.

"Hey, brat!" She comes over and quickly pulls Naruto into a loose headlock, ruffling his hair good-naturedly. "Glad to see you again. Gotta keep making up for not coming 'round in ages." Kiba rolls his eyes at his mother's antics and heads for the kitchen, ignoring the scene. Akamaru joyfully follows him.

Naruto laughs, extricating himself from the smothering clutch. "Nowhere I'd rather be."

"Damn right." Tsume pats him on the back hard, giving him a grin. "You're welcome 'round as often as you'd like."

"I second that. We can always use a cute blonde around here." Coming down the stairs is Hana, Kiba's sister.

Naruto smiles widely at her, giving her a hug when she gets to him. "You look pretty and fancy tonight." Naruto wiggles his eyebrows. "Got a hot date?"

She laughs and smooth's out her dress. "Date, yes. Hot, I can only hope. It's a blind date, setup by my friends."

Tsume snorts. "They just better hope they're good enough for her."

"I second that." Kiba calls from the kitchen, walking back into the living room. "Now stop pawing at this poor boy." Kiba slings an arm around Naruto's shoulder and hauls him up the stairs. "Call us down for dinner," he hollers over his shoulder, earning a few mutterings from his mom. "God, they love you."

Naruto laughs as he follows Kiba into his room, plopping down in one of the chairs directly in front of the TV. "They love anybody they can mess with. Your mom especially."

Kiba nods his head in agreement and hands Naruto a controller. "Yeah, but you're a good sport. Mom considers you an extra son as it is." The mutt starts a game up, and the two of them settle into their usual habit of banter as the game advances.

Naruto didn't realize how much he missed these days until Kiba pulled him back around. So much of his time has been dedicated to the project, university applications, and just Sasuke in general. A wave of ignominy washes over him as he thinks of how many relationships he neglected. No matter what happens from here on out, he will not dedicate his time to one particular person.

About thirty minutes later, the boys are called down by Tsume. Wasting no time to get to food, they both move quickly down the stairs with Akamaru on their heels. Tsume proudly boasts over her meal, earning a grin from Naruto and an eye roll from Kiba. The mutt has to deal with this nightly, but Naruto adores the woman's bellicose attitude. Though, it seems Kiba's dad did not, and left sometime when the boy was still young. Leaving Kiba to grow up dealing this his mom and sister alone. Quite the feat, if Naruto is being honest.

Not long after they sit down, Kiba's phone starts ringing loudly. "Hold on, Hinata is calling me." Tsume snorts as Kiba pushes up from his chair, shooting his mom a dirty look on the way out. Akamaru lifts his head from the ground, whining as his treat giver leaves.

"His life revolves around that girl these days. She's a damn good catch, though. He better hold on."

Naruto grins and lets out a small chuckle. "I think with as long as it took to get her, he'll be hanging on."

"What about you, brat? Finally get that girl you were always on about?"

Naruto blushes, dropping his gaze. "I kind of gave up on her."

"Well, I can't say she was worth the effort to begin with, from what Kiba told me. Any girl willing to play games for so long needs to be dropped." She nods her head with a sort of fierce finality; there is no question that she's right or wrong. What she says goes. "Who'd you end up dating?"

"Eh?" Naruto glances up, not quite grasping the question.

"Kiba says you haven't been around much because of your project partner." Tsume nudges the blondes arm. "So, who is she?"

Naruto's face goes up in flames. Oh God, he can't answer that question. Technically, him and Sasuke aren't – and never were – dating. Fooling around, sure. But not together.

"Hinata says hello and thank you." Kiba saunters back into the room, much to Akamaru and Naruto's delight. He just saved the blonde from mortifying himself.

Tsume nods knowingly. "It's a good thing she brought him in when she did."

Naruto loses sight of his prior embarrassment for this new topic. Turning to Kiba, he asks, "What happened?"

Kiba swallows thickly before replying. "Hinata's rabbit got sick, so I told her to bring it by the clinic."

Nodding in agreement, Tsume points a fork at Kiba. "Perfect timing, too. Any longer and it could have been fatal."

"I didn't know you could own rabbits as pets." Naruto adds in wonder, imagining being able to pet furry rabbit ears. Maybe he should get one.

Kiba shakes his head. "They're a huge hassle to be kept indoors. Hinata's got patience of steel to be able to deal with it."

Tsume laughs. "Well, I don't think anything tops that Nara family habit of feeding the deer in the woods around their house."

Naruto grins; he was pretty amused by that fact too, when he first went over to Shikamaru's house. The Nara's don't live quite as far out as Naruto does, nor in the same direction, but they have a tradition of feeding the wild deer in the area.

"Speaking of that boy," Kiba's mom adds, "when is the rest of the gang popping over?"

Kiba shrugs his shoulders. "Sometime around 7, I think."

And seven came before they knew it. Naruto turns startled eyes towards the stairs when he hears the doorbell going off, pausing the game him and Kiba are playing. It doesn't feel like they've been up here for hours, but then, the blonde has a good way of losing track of time.

Kiba groans and pushes himself up, jogging down the stairs to let them in. The blonde grins as he hears Kiba and Choji immediate start bickering good-naturedly, and he can just imagine the bored eyes their getting from Shika.

"Haven't seen you around lately," Choji nods at Naruto as he comes into the room, sitting down cross-legged on the floor.

"Been busy." The blonde states with a grin. Choji has an ever-present bag of chips in his hand, a staple of his existence.

"Busy my ass. We're just not good enough for you anymore." Kiba tosses in his unwanted opinion, earning a glare from Naruto.

"Like hell, mutt. That project is time consuming."

Choji nods sympathetically. "I feel you on that. I think I have it a bit worse than you do."

Naruto laughs. "Come on, Ino's not that bad." Well, there was once a time not too long ago that Naruto thought she was, but that's been cleared up at this point. He now has a comrade in mutual pain.

Shika scoffs, leaning against the windowsill and staring out into the black night. "If he was partnered with Ino, I'd agree."

Confused, Naruto glances between the two. "I could have sworn Kashi put you with her."

Choji nods. "He did. But then she begged me to have us do a switch with Sakura. So, she's working with that girl while I'm stuck with Lee."

Naruto winces in understanding. "Ouch." Given what he knows now, it doesn't surprise him that Ino pulled something like that.

Kiba snorts, shaking his head in amusement. "You should have told her no, man. Lee's not a bad guy but damn can he ride some nerves after five minutes."

Naruto can't argue there. Lee has been a good friend since freshman year, but they are both headstrong in gym class and tend to compete with each other. The kid has a habit of wearing green constantly, insists bowl cuts and bushy brows are "in style", and loudly proclaiming his beliefs to the general public. As much as Naruto jokes about preferring him over Sasuke, he knows he wouldn't really wish that pain onto himself.

"What about you, Shika?" Naruto turns his attention back to his indifferent friend. "How are things going with Temari?"

Shikamaru hardly bothers to even glance at the blonde before he replies. "Relationships are bothersome."

"Speak for yourself." Kiba pipes in. "Hinata is perfect." Every boy in the room other than Kiba rolls their eyes at this.

Naruto keeps quiet about his own project partner, and thankfully no one asks. Kiba knows better to bring it up, Shikamaru probably already knows more than even Naruto does – perks of being an insightful genius – and Choji just doesn't care to pry.

Stopping himself from even getting into thoughts of that raven right now, Naruto focuses his time on his friends. It really has been ages since he hung out with everyone. Now is no time to concern himself with outside problems.

* * *

That mentality only last him till everyone falls asleep, leaving Naruto to lay awake on his own. Staring at Kiba's ceiling, he can't stop himself from wondering why things with Sasuke have to be so different. If this was that jerks floor, he wouldn't be laying here wondering when he'd stop snoring so loud and let others get some sleep. What he would probably be doing is wondering how he could get himself into Sasuke's bed without the raven glaring daggers into him.

This has – thankfully – never been a problem with any of his other guy friends. He can't even imagine Kiba or Shika in that way. They're not romantic possibilities. Never have been and never will be. It makes figuring out Sasuke that much harder. Why is he different? What is it about him that changes the way Naruto can look at a guy?

The blonde really doesn't want to believe that he's vain enough to want someone just for their looks, but he's not going to deny that he's attracted to Sasuke on a physical level. Anyone that looks at the Uchiha brat falls for him on a physical level. Hell, even when he opens his mouth to tell someone off or glare at them, they still can't help but want him.

Is that really all this is for Naruto? He's truly just attracted to Sasuke physically? It makes some sense. He did agree pretty easily to a non-romantic, just physical relationship. But if that's the case, why does it bother him so much to not have Sasuke in his life? If Naruto wants to fool around with just any guy, he's more than capable of going out and finding someone.

The blonde sighs and rolls over onto his stomach, burying his face in the pillow. He hates trying to deal with all this. He wishes someone could just come along, sit him down and tell him all the answers. Tell him why he feels like this, why Sasuke acts the way he does, and what to do about it. Because Naruto sure as hell can't figure out.

The only person he knows who usually has the answers is the raven himself, and he's not about to try drudging up this conversation again so soon. At least, he doesn't think he's ready to. Naruto resists a groan and shakes his head. Stupid teme's and their ability to take up all your concentration. Even if he doesn't bring up this topic, there's nothing stopping Naruto from just talking to Sasuke, right?

Reaching out a blind hand, the blonde feels around for his phone in the dark, sliding his palm back towards himself when he lands on it. He pushes himself up onto his elbows and presses the lock button, bringing the phone to life. Blinking in pain at the harsh light emanating from the screen, he fumbles to drop the backlight before looking at his messages.

To his surprise, Sasuke has already sent him a message hours earlier. Clicking the chat open, Naruto rolls his eyes at the straight to the point text. _Sunday availability?_

 _I work one to whenever AJ wants me to leave_ , Naruto replies back quickly. More than likely, Sasuke will make them meet at some ungodly hour before noon. And Naruto won't argue with him because he wants as much time with the raven as he can get. So desperate, he scolds himself.

Only moments later, when Naruto has already set the phone down without expecting a reply, does the screen light up with a new message notification. Quickly opening it, the blonde rolls his eyes at his accurate prediction. _Meet me at 11am at Java's_.

Whining even in text, the blonde jots back with _so early, teme_.

 _You'll live_. Naruto shakes his head, smiling as he imagines Sasuke saying that with an exasperated glare.

Grinning still, Naruto pauses to think about what to say next. Should he even try continuing the conversation? Sasuke will probably just ignore anything after this, since the main priority has been addressed. Only one way to find out.

 _What are you doing up?_ It's going on two in the morning. He's not sure what Sasuke's sleep schedule is – despite all the times they've spent the night together – as they never really make a point to sleep at a specific time.

 _Studying._ Of course he is. God, doesn't this guy ever get tired of stuffing his brain with stupid homework?

 _Dude, take a break._ If Sasuke even knows what a break is. From past experience, Naruto is going to say no.

The blonde just stares at the response for a moment, not really sure how to take it. _Replying to you is my break._ Well, at least Naruto is a good enough reason to disrupt Sasuke's studies for a bit. Not that this is a good enough break in the blonde's book.

 _Sleep would be a better break at this time._ Naruto is starting to think this might be true for himself as well.

 _Same to you. Why are you still awake?_

 _Can't sleep. At Kiba's._ Though as he sends this, he starts yawning.

 _Try, dobe. It's late._ Naruto rolls his eyes. As if that jerk cares. He just wants to get rid of the blonde. He's not fooling anyone.

Naruto doesn't argue though. Sleep does suddenly sound like a good idea. Exhaustion has hit him from out of nowhere; as if talking to Sasuke eased his nerves down and allowed him to relax.

 _Yeah, teme. Have a good night._ Naruto is about to set his phone off to the side again when it lights up one last time. He smiles contentedly as he reads the simple message. Something tells him he'll do just that.

 _Sleep well._


	12. Compromise

**Author's Note :** * I am super sorry for releasing this so late in the day *With that being said, onto the actual note.

Lovelies. The only ship in this series is SasuNaru with some minor side pairings. There will not be any OCNaru or GaaNaru or any other Naru besides Sasu. I don't work that way, and the dynamics and nature of the relationship in this story cannot function with intentional jealousy. I don't feel that Naruto operates like that, from his canon-verse personality. No matter what Sasuke put him through, he stayed true and dedicated to him. I won't have him so easily swayed by another man's attention in this story. Sasuke is also not the type to deal with intentional jealousy being brought into his life.

Oh, also, KakaIru is not a pairing in this story. It's simply not needed/adds nothing.

I will try to work a conversation in where the boys talk about their past. It's difficult though because it's not something that either of them want to hit on, and so all info typically comes from internal monologues or other characters offering information. I've already given the major details throughout the chapters, though maybe not expressly pointed them out.

* * *

 **Beta's Note :** Sorry for the late post dears! AJ and I may have gotten a bit lazy. A.k.a both of us have been kinda busy. This would have been posted earlier if I had done my job as a beta. As AJ mentioned, no other Naru pairings. As much as we ship others with him as she explained it's simply not going to happen. ImaybeslightlydisappointedbythelackofKakaIru BUT alas not my story. Please just enjoy the story for what it is. Enjoy the chapter! AJ has been working hard. Hopefully next week the chapter will be on time. Much love!

* * *

 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse. **  
**

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

* * *

 **Chapter 12 : Compromise**

* * *

Naruto shivers in the frosty morning air as he jogs out to the garage. Why doesn't he ever think to warm up his jeep before he needs to take off. Now he's going to either be late or shiver for the first ten minutes of the ride.

Not long after the blonde starts the jeep, hoping it will miraculously warm up quicker this morning than usual, his phone starts ringing. Grumbling about having to take his hands out of his pocket, Naruto quickly slides the answer option without looking to see who it is.

"Hello?" His voice is barely a mutter, sounding irritated to even his own ears.

"Naruto? What's wrong with you?" Ino's rich voice fills the line, making Naruto's eyes widen in surprise. What is she doing calling at 10:30 in the morning?

"Busy today."

"Well, I'm having massive trauma done to my life today. I need someone to talk to."

"So, talk."

Ino sighs impatiently. "In person, Naruto. I can't convey my points without seeing your face." Why not, the blonde thinks idly. His face isn't going to give her any advice on its own.

"I really can't help you right now. I got too much going on."

"Please, Naruto. Don't turn your back on me today. Your emotional support will be highly valued."

"Ino, I cannot hang out today," Naruto stresses for the third time. "I have to meet Sasuke in about thirty minutes, and then I work all night."

"I am having a breakdown right now, Naru. I _need_ you." Naruto rolls his eyes at the overdramatic girl on the phone. During the two months they didn't talk much, Naruto forgot what being friends with this girl is like. Breakdowns, drama, and blowing situations out of proportion. That's what being friends with Ino is like. Or maybe any girl. Naruto's not really too sure on that.

"Don't you usually go to Sai with these things?"

"Typically, yes. But Sai is dating Midori and I don't like to overstep my bounds with taken guys, even though she's pretty cool about it."

"Who? And am I not taken?"

Ino scoffs. "She goes to our school. She's on the council." Ino sighs and Naruto can feel the impatience in her voice. "Like hell you're taken. You and Sasuke aren't anywhere near a real couple yet."

Yet. She says this like she's certain it will happen in the future. Must be a pretty distant future, if things continue the way they are now.

Sighing, Naruto runs a hand over his face and then through his hair. "AJ likes you so it shouldn't be a problem for you to come by and hang around for a bit while I work. Is that okay?"

"Yes!" Ino squeals. Naruto can just imagine her jumping on the spot in joy at getting her way. "I have so much to talk to you about. Okay, I'm gonna get off now. Bye!"

"Later." Naruto sighs and drops his phone into the passenger seat. Not only did he have to get up stupidly early on a Sunday, he now must deal with Sasuke for an assignment, then work, and at some point in the day he now has to deal with Ino's drama – whatever that might be.

As if just the Sasuke meeting isn't nerve-wracking enough.

To be frank, Naruto is terrified to see Sasuke today. Or maybe excited. It could be a cross between the two. All the blonde knows for certain is that his nerves are playing havoc with his stomach. He didn't think it was possible to be more nervous than he was Thursday.

He kind of went off on Sasuke Friday afternoon though, and he's now had a whole day to agonize over what sort of damage that might have done. Sasuke is not the most tolerant person in the world. Who knows how he took that little speech?

Naruto groans in despair. Why does he have to work himself up like this? He should just waltz into that café like it's no big deal. Really, it's not. Right? The fact that Naruto can't get his heart to agree with that makes him feel more terrified than excited.

* * *

Bypassing his usual treat stop at the counter – he's going to be here all day, there's plenty of time for that later – the blonde heads straight for the alcove where a raven is already seated.

"Hey." Naruto says nervously, avoiding any direct eye contact with the raven. He sees Sasuke glance up at him before sliding his eyes back to his journal.

"Let's get started." Naruto scrambles to get his notebook out before Sasuke begins with him. "How do people in your personal social circle influence your attitude?"

The blonde raises an amused eyebrow at Sasuke and grins. "Do you even have a social circle, teme? I think you just hang out and talk to yourself."

"It's better company that anyone else." Sasuke rolls his eyes. 'Social circles influence people's attitudes by association. Being around people you enjoy tends to lead to changes in attitudes towards a topic or person. That change can be positive or negative."

"My friends definitely affect my attitudes on certain things, especially if it's something culture related, like music or food or movies. Opinions are infectious, so if someone likes or dislikes something that I'm not familiar with, I'll be more likely to assume the same attitude until I learn more. Though I tend to be a pretty positive person in general and don't let too many negative views affect mine."

"How does family influence your attitude?" Sasuke frowns at the paper as he reads this off, as if the question somehow insulted him.

Well, guess I'll answer first, Naruto thinks bewilderedly. "I don't really have much family to go off from, but Jiraiya really does influence me to keep positive attitudes. He's very happy-go-lucky and laidback. He's all about peace and love and unity." Naruto rolls his eyes. "But he raises me to try to see the good in everything first, and to not let other people's beliefs sway what I believe to be right."

"My family…" Sasuke starts but promptly stops, glancing out the window. This question really irks him, Naruto notes as he follows the ravens train of sight.

"What are you always looking at?" The blonde asks suddenly, breaking Sasuke's concentration. He turns his gaze onto Naruto, studying him shortly before going back to his paper.

"My family taught me to be analytical and neutral on all my initial views, and to not form an attitude until I have detailed information. My father had a very stern and critiquing method of forming attitudes, but my mother was much softer. Itachi falls somewhere in the middle, I suppose."

"Where do you fall?" Naruto inquires curiously.

Sasuke is silent for a moment before answering. "I always aimed to please my father." He frowns momentarily but smooths his feature into that unreadable mask once more. "Continuing. How does society influence your views?" Sasuke stares pointedly at Naruto, causing the blonde to prickle defensively.

"What?"

"I think it's fair to say you allow society to influence your attitudes to an extreme."

"And why is that?"

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Why else would an idiot like you, who forms emotional attachments to everything, agree to a purely physical relationship?" The raven holds up a hand, silently telling Naruto to stay quiet. "The only reasoning I can come up with, is that you're not ready to approach the social standing of publicly coming out as gay. So, while you would get to enjoy yourself in private, you get to look the other way in public."

"It's only been a month since I even figured this out about myself, teme. Am I supposed to go screaming it from the streets immediately?"

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders. "That's how you treat everything else in your life."

"Did it ever cross your mind that I was trying to be discreet because it's _you_? You know your reputation at school. The backlash we'd both receive if I suddenly started chasing after you would be insane. I don't think either of us would want it." Naruto angrily runs a hand through his hair. "Besides, it's not like you're much better."

Sasuke narrows his eyes. "Meaning?"

"Meaning, you use not caring what society thinks as an excuse to be an asshole and do whatever you want. But I think it's really a front for being so emotionally constipated you can't admit when you're genuinely into someone."

"Don't flatter yourself, dobe."

Naruto scoffs, leaning back in the booth. "Let's just continue." He quickly reads off the next question. "What is your attitude towards social norms?" Great. Another question that's likely to turn into an argument.

"Social norms are pointless cultural devices that tell people how to act, and shun people who don't follow. Those who follow social norms are typically seen as "normal", while those who deviate are treated like outcasts. Social circles tend to be created around what type of social norms – or lack of – a group of people follow. It's just another way for people to brand themselves and fit inside a mold."

"I don't disagree that social norms are stupid, but they can be really hard to ignore or not take part in. Everyone's raised with those norms and just taught by culture that they're right. Thankfully, we've had a lot of breakthroughs in challenging social norms, and a lot of groups have a fighting voice."

Sasuke scoffs. "So when are you going to quit hiding and take part in the LGBT movement?"

This fucking jerk. He's just begging for a hostile situation, isn't he? "When are you, teme? I don't see you running around waving a rainbow flag."

"You don't see me denying it, either."

"No one would fucking think to ask!" Naruto's temper, along with his voice rises. He breathes in deeply and sheepishly drops his gaze to the table as he earns a few glares from other patrons.

"Last question, dobe. Do your attitudes help or hurt your ability to communicate?"

"Both, for me." Naruto answers easily. "I am really straight-forward and vocal on most things in my life, no matter whether my attitude is positive or negative."

"Obviously." The blonde glares at the interruption but presses on.

"It helps that I am willing to vocalize my opinions on just about any given topic, but it also hurts if I get too into it and just make the other person back off. Communication isn't just about being heard – it's also listening and discussing." No matter how much he understands that, Naruto still can't seem to effectively communication with Sasuke.

"I will say both as well. My time on the student council has allowed me to develop leadership and communication skills, so I can convey situations and ideas well in a business setting. However, on a personal level, I do not care to have people prying into my life, and I will refuse to converse about a large array of topics."

Naruto scoffs. Ain't that the truth.

"The only person who gets to personally be told about my life and views is you." Naruto looks up at the hard tone Sasuke says this statement with. He seems none too pleased. "I didn't ask for you to be placed in my life, and I was doing just fine without you."

Naruto cocks his head to the side, staring the raven down. "And how are you doing now?"

"Needlessly irritated at all times."

The blonde grins. "Just admit it, teme. I get under your skin."

"Since when is that a good thing?"

Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "Since it means you acknowledge my existence in your life."

Sasuke rolls his eyes, breaking his gaze and looking out the window again. "Your existence is blinding, dobe. It can't be overlooked."

"Well, at least that's something."

Sasuke doesn't reply, continuing to focus on something Naruto can't grasp.

"My brother used to take me to Arcadia when I was younger. Before things happened. I was surprised when you brought me here. I never thought I would be brought back to this area. By you, no less."

Startled, Naruto observes Sasuke with wide eyes. "Where is this coming from?"

Sasuke begins to pack up, seemingly ignoring the blonde's question. When he finishes, he looks up at curious blue eyes. "That's where I'm always looking. At the past." With that, the raven leaves a confused blonde in the booth, alone.

How is Naruto supposed to take that? And what is Arcadia? He groans at the enigma that is Uchiha Sasuke. He will never understand the way the ravens brain functions. One minute he's saying he hates having to let Naruto into his private life, and the next he's willingly offering up information.

Honestly, Naruto's ability to deal with things is beginning to snap. The mixed signals are going to be the death of him.

Throwing all his supplies in his bag, the blonde stands up and heads towards AJ's office. "Hey." He says as he knocks on the open door, getting her attention. "Mind if I start early?"

"No problem. I thought I heard your dulcet voice cussing out there." She winks and laughs at the instantaneous blush on Naruto's face.

Changing that topic, the blonde figures it would be best to ask about his visitor now. "You remember Ino?"

AJ nods. "Friend of yours and Sai? Pretty blonde?"

"That's the one. She's having some sort of crisis and needs someone to cry to. Is it cool if she comes back sometime today while I'm baking?"

"Who am I to deny a girl a shoulder to cry on? As long as it's not mine."

Naruto laughs. "I'll make sure I'm the only one dealing with the waterworks." The blonde steps back and to the side, pushing open the doors to his safe haven. It's amazing how being in a kitchen can make him feels so happy. It's also greatly appreciated. Naruto can always use a bit more happiness in his life.

* * *

"Should I tell her?" Ino bites her lips and continues pacing the length of the kitchen. "No, I shouldn't. That's a stupid idea, right?" Naruto nods in agreement, barely listening to her rambling as he mixes ingredients.

Ino breathes in sharply, putting her hands on her waist and continues. "Maybe I should. I'm just living a lie right now."

Naruto shakes his head. All this chick has done since she got here is pace and talk to herself. It seems she needs less of someone to talk to and more someone to bitch to.

"Sakura is going out on a date with Kei as some form of remedial rebound."

"Rebound from what?"

"God, Naruto, so clueless. Over Sasuke!"

"How can she rebound over something she never had in the first place? Isn't that something you do after a breakup?"

"As far as Sakura is concerned, Sasuke did breakup with her."

"Ino." Naruto stares at her disbelievingly. "Please tell me the delusion does not run that deep."

"The female mind is a sensitive thing, Naruto. We tell ourselves the things we need to hear to not go crazy."

"You can't tell yourself you're in a relationship with someone when the other person doesn't agree."

"Anyways," Ino says sternly, signifying the end to that disturbing conversation, "Kei. Date. With my Sakura."

Naruto points his mixing spoon at her. "You too. She's not yours till you confess and get in a relationship with her. Just like Sasuke isn't mine." God, what is with these chicks and claiming things?

"Will you get off that?!" Ino groans and tilts her head back, closing her eyes. "This is a serious problem. What if she actually ends up liking him?"

"I don't know what to tell you, Ino. You either deal with it and she dates this guy for who knows how long. Or, you tell her that you're into her and chance the response."

Ino sighs and walks over, taking a seat at the lone barstool against the counter. "You make it sound easy. This or that. Take your pick. No big deal."

Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "I'm not saying it's not a big deal. I'm saying it's going to be more painful to see her with someone else, without even giving her the chance to know that it's hurting you."

"I've gone our into childhood and teenage years not telling her this. Why does it have to be this semester that everything blows up?"

"Tell me about it." Naruto rolls his eyes. "I've happily existed thinking I'm all straight till now. Senior year, Ino. It's a meltdown year."

Ino snorts. "That's the truth. Though Anko hasn't really been helping any either."

"What do you mean?"

The blonde girl starts her pacing again. "She's been encouraging Sakura to ask Sasuke out constantly. She says that he'll have to break down eventually."

Or just flip out and break the girls neck.

"Pretty much everything Sakura has been up to this semester – kissing Sasuke at the bake sale, pulling him aside for confessions, asking him out for Valentines – was all Anko's ideas. Even us going to that restaurant you guys went to for lunch. Anko saw us in the hallway and told us we should go there, too." Ino shrugs her shoulders. "I guess she just really wants to see them together."

"Sounds to me like she needs to mind her own business." Naruto chokes out irritably. Sasuke could have been saved so much harassment this semester if not for that woman. "It's been really frustrating dealing with her."

Ino sighs, shaking her head. "She just likes him, Naru. You especially can't fault her. She's not doing anything different to him, then you did to her these last four years."

Naruto grimaces as he can't deny these words. At least he realized the error of his ways. "So, why now? If Sakura has been pushed to try for Sasuke so hard, why is she going on a date with…" the blonde trails off, looking to Ino to fill in the forgotten name of the pinkette's date.

"Kei. And he asked her out Friday after cheerleading practice. I guess he's cute enough to warrant a yes." Ino huffs, grumbling under her breath about dark haired idiots.

"Just tell her that you're in love with her and it hurts you to see her with others and be done with it." In exasperation, Naruto offers out a spoon of cookie dough, hoping it will appease her annoyance.

Ino comes back to the counter, taking the spoon happily. "Are you going to tell Sasuke that you love him and his attitude hurts you?"

"Excuse me," Naruto cringes at her words, "there is no use of that 'L" word at this point, thank you. And I'm sure that jackass knows it hurts me. He's cold, not stupid."

"You admit that he's cold and a jerk and just oh-so horrible, but you still want to be a part of his life?"

"Sure." Naruto says this like it's the epitome of common sense. "He's protecting himself, I get that. I don't really understand from what because he won't talk to me about things unless it's for the assignment, but you don't push someone away while admitting you're interested in them unless you're worried what might happen."

"I think it's pretty obvious that he does like you. At least, I don't stick my tongue down a boy's throat in public unless I'm really interested."

Naruto blushes beet red. "Shut up, Ino."

The blonde girl leans her elbow on the counter and rests her head against her fist. "Does PDA bother you, or does it bother you that people might find out?

Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "Both, I guess. Even if it was a chick, that's a bit too forward in public. And yeah, I don't really want people to know."

"That probably hurts Sasuke." At the sharp jerk upwards of Naruto's head, Ino seems about as surprised as the blonde does. "What? Come on, Naruto. You have to realize that Sasuke probably takes that as a slap in the face."

Clearly, Naruto did not realize this. That never even crossed his mind. He thought Sasuke was just being a brat about Naruto not wanting to come out yet. He didn't think that it might be hurting the raven at the same time.

She sighs and rolls her eyes. 'You can't be that dense. You're practically telling him he's only good enough behind closed doors, but not to be on your arm in public."

Naruto exhales slowly, trying to take this in. "Does it really seem like that, Ino?" That's not the case – that's obviously not the case! Sasuke must know that. The blonde has expressed many times that his dislike of being known in public is due to… Sasuke. Naruto's eyes widen in fear of the implications. He always goes on about how he doesn't want people to know because it _is_ Sasuke.

But it's not meant like that, he reasons with his panicked self. Who wouldn't want Sasuke as an acknowledged dating interest? If Naruto was to a point that he could handle that, then he would be pushing for it.

"Ino." Naruto starts his own frantic pacing behind the counter. "How bad have I fucked up? Is this a big deal?"

Ino snorts, totally unamused. "Imagine Sasuke telling you that he wants to mess around in private, but you're not allowed to speak to him at school. How angry would you be?"

Livid. Naruto would be beyond hurt and angry if Sasuke said anything like that to him. In fact, he would probably stop talking to him entirely, even going so far as to forget this project. That's not what the blonde meant to do – that must have been made clear at some point, right?

"You should just go talk to him." Ino says nonchalantly, dipping the spoon into the mixing bowl to scrape up some of the remaining dough. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"How about the fact that it'll probably just make my situation worse? Sasuke is not the 'talk our feelings' out kind of person. Neither am I, for that matter."

"That's why you're in this boat. You guys don't wanna talk about shit. If I had already told Sakura how I feel, you can bet we'd sit down and have a couple conversations about the matter."

Naruto sighs, resisting the urge to run a comforting hand through his hair. In the words of Shikamaru, this is such a bother. Why do relationships have to be so difficult? Especially when a relationship doesn't exist?

"If you did tell Sakura you like her," Naruto starts curiously, "would you be wanting a relationship out of it?"

"If she was cool with it and liked me too, then of course. What's the point of two people being into each other, but not being together?"

"But you can be with someone and not be in a relationship."

Ino shrugs her shoulders. "Yeah, I guess. But that doesn't sound very healthy. It sounds like a good way for someone to get their heart broken."

"So, you don't think physical relationships are okay?"

Looking up sharply, Ino takes in the blonde boy with narrowed eyes. "Are you and Sasuke legit messing around with each other?" At the blush that crosses Naruto's cheeks, Ino slams a hand down on the table. "I knew it! I knew you couldn't be having all these problems with him unless you guys have been further than I knew about." She sighs and rolls her eyes when she calms down. "Naruto, you're just making things so much harder on yourself in the long run. You are so into him and you don't even realize how bad you got it."

Naruto snorts and walks away to grab a new mixing bowl, starting on a new task. "And you can see how bad I got it?

"Of course," Ino says matter-of-factly, "I'm a woman. We have intuition on these things."

"Not if you judge by Sakura."

Ino groans and leans her head back. "Will you let that go?"

Naruto grins at the annoyed girl, happy to take some of the edge off their conversation. "I'll let it go while I'm with you, how's that?"

The blonde girl laughs, coming around the table. "Deal. Now, since you've let me rant so much, I'm gonna help you bake."

One of the perks of being friends with Ino is that she is a fairly good baker, and an even better decorator. Naruto has seen her work before while she was here messing with Sai, and AJ asked her if she could do anything besides talk – tact, they name is not AJ.

Turns out, she can. Her parents run a flower shop, and she takes a lot of inspiration from it with floral designs. You give her some icing in a piping bag, and she can do gorgeous work.

"I have sugar cookies cooling over there," Naruto nods off to a rack with several trays on it, "and there's a cake as well. You can do your stuff to the cake after you've added the base layer of icing."

"I do know how baking works, Naruto."

The boy laughs, nudging her shoulder playfully. "You never know, Ino. You are blonde."

"Insulting your own kind now? That's low."

The rest of the time that Ino was there, they fell into a playful banter while getting work done. Naruto can't help but be happy that he has one of his good friends back in his life. Talking to Ino is just as insightful as talking to Kiba, without half the attention being focused solely on him. The blonde feels a mutual respect for Ino at this point as well – both are in involved with someone that they're afraid to try taking it further with. Not to mention neither of them have admitted their bisexual, or possibly just gay, to anyone but their closest people.

In fact, Ino probably has it a bit harder than Naruto does. Kiba is his best friend and he knows everything that's going on. For Ino though, that would be Sakura – leaving her in a stressful predicament. Perhaps that's why Naruto is so inclined to be there for her; he can't imagine leaving someone to go through this on their own.

Because, let's face it, this half-in/half-out situation he's got going on is hell.

* * *

Naruto's mood hasn't lightened in the least, despite being home for hours now. All he can think about is that damn jerk. As if that isn't bad enough, he's now concerned that he's the reason everything has fucked up. Did Sasuke pull away because Naruto shoed too much emotion, or not enough? Did he hurt the raven's feelings? Naruto scoffs. That's a low chance. Sasuke would be the first to tell you he doesn't care enough about this to be hurt over it.

It doesn't ease the blondes mind to think like that, though. The insecurities and voices telling him he's not good enough creep up when he falls into thought patterns like that. Sasuke has to care, in some way – no matter how small – right?

Doubt sours Naruto's hopeful wish. No, Sasuke doesn't have to care in the least. He told Naruto this was just physical – just for fun – and he bailed the moment he thought it might lead to more. Not exactly the epitome of caring. Yet, when Naruto does get in his face and demand things, the raven concedes in that infuriating manner that keeps the blonde hanging on.

And what's with that? That jerk is the king of mixed signals. Naruto has never met someone who fluctuates between hot and cold so rapidly. He has a knack for holding the blonde at arm's reach, but not letting him go entirely. This is probably partly my fault, Naruto muses. There's nothing keeping him tied to Sasuke, other than the project. If he really wanted to, Naruto could take a step back and put them where they were before – just seeing each other long enough to do work.

The mere idea of doing that clenches the blondes heart up. He's already come to see Sasuke as a friend, hasn't he? He can't just let him go now. Well, his mind whispers to him, he can still be your friend. You don't have to see him constantly to be friends. Naruto frowns at the thought. That's true, he accepts dismally. But it doesn't change his opinion. He's happy when he's around the jerk. Even if all they're doing is studying or bickering. The raven's very presence is soothing.

At least, it was. Now it's nerve-wracking to be around him. They're on such shaky ground. One wrong move and Naruto might go tumbling off a cliff. Of course, if Sasuke was pulled down with him he might not mind so much.

Groaning, the blonde rolls over in a huff, folding his arms under the pillow and stuffing his face against it. How he misses the days when things were simple. He was 100% into girls, guys were always 100% friends if he hung out with them, and there were zero worries about anything in-between.

Now, he hasn't even looked at a girl with a romantic – or sexual – interest since Sasuke walked into his life. Instead, he gets to question his sexuality and wonder if this is a permanent thing. Or, will it disappear along with Sasuke should the raven truly be gone? There's a chance that this is just because his interest is, well, Uchiha Sasuke. The part of Naruto's brain that wants to console him quietly assures him this is normal; everyone is at least a little attracted to the raven, regardless of gender. But even the foolish blonde can tell the difference between admiration and –

And what? What exactly does Naruto feel for Sasuke? He knows it's not admiration – at least, not fully. The guy definitely has some coveted qualities, but they're typically masked by his far shittier ones that make Naruto more irritated than admiring.

He's not a rival, either. Naruto isn't competing against him for anything anymore. Quite the contrary; he's competing for him. The only attention that has to be fought for now is Sasuke's own. Naruto scoffs at himself. He hasn't changed anything, really. He's doing the same thing he's done for 4 years now; striving for attention and affection from someone who chooses to ignore him. The only difference is he cut a certain girl out of his side of the picture. Instead of chasing Sakura and watching her chase Sasuke, both have their sights set on the raven.

A tiny jolt of panic goes through Naruto. He does _not_ feel the same for Sasuke that she does. He's into Sasuke, sure, but without any romantic attachment. He can like a person without _liking_ them. Besides, the raven has yet to do one thing to warrant Naruto's affections. Other than being there for him that horrible night, and helping him with his university applications, and taking him out to that restaurant and to the gardens.

Thoughtful blue eyes slide over to his windowsill. Growing rapidly from the large amount of sunlight that spills through during the day sit six undisturbed pots of herbs. Naruto never thanked Sasuke for them, but he thought it better this way. It was such a kind gesture, and he didn't want to spoil it with whatever snide remark Sasuke might make out of embarrassment.

So many things have happened since that time. Naruto remembers that first kiss that swept him away; a light blush colors his cheeks from the memory alone. Something had definitely sparked at that point, dragging its way through Naruto's being. Something he heard Jiraiya say once flashes into his mind. _Never kiss people you don't love, because a piece of their soul will remain with you forever_. Naruto never thought twice about it, rolling his eyes at the time from the old man's sentimentality.

Now, Naruto can feel that saying with such truth. It was good advice that he forgot to take. Because now, he's certain he has a bit of that raven's soul inside him, and he never asked for it. You would think sharing something like that with someone would help you understand them. Not in this case. The more Naruto figures out about Sasuke, the more lost he gets. Maybe the ravens mind is just too wide and deep to ever really get through. All Naruto wants is to understand him better. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing situation. Sasuke can keep his privacy and emotional distance. Naruto just wants to be with him in the meantime.

Eyes widening, the blonde repeats that shocking thought back to himself in dread. _I want to be with him_. The answer to what he thinks of Sasuke is somehow wrapped up in that. His interest runs deep enough that he can't shake the boy from his heart.

"Fuck," Naruto muses out loud, rolling back over to stare at his ceiling in distress. "I really… Really like him, don't I?" The understanding that comes with this situation is followed by a wave of embarrassment. He groans as he imagines at least five people who would be far too amused over hearing this verdict. A certain mutt, a café owner, a sociopath, and two blonde girls. One of which he doesn't know the name of, but he can see her smirking face with perfect clarity.

The other one, Ino, he can hear saying "I told you so" with that smug smile plastered on her face. She would be so pleased to hear Naruto admit that he does like Sasuke. He scoffs as he thinks back to a day in the courtyard where that would have been the last thing she'd be happy about.

This realization does nothing to help his situation. If anything, it'll make it worse. Naruto having real feeling is the primary reason Sasuke pulled away in the first place. How can that jerk not feel something positive towards him? As far as Naruto knows, Sasuke doesn't make a habit of inviting people into his life.

Of course, Naruto wasn't invited either. He was just kind of pushed onto the guy. But still. Didn't that turn out for the better? They've done more together than just that project. Sasuke genuinely seemed to care about Naruto's success in life. Was it all an act and a way to get Naruto to open up?

No, Naruto scolds himself. The raven may be cold but he's not intentionally cruel with it. He wouldn't have done any of the nice things just to get in the blonde's pants. Lord knows he doesn't need to. Naruto is usually pretty willing – even when he doesn't mean to be. The raven just has that effect.

Still, Naruto can't figure out his motives. One minute Sasuke is helpful and kind, the next distant and aloof. Same with his interests in touching or coming onto the blonde. It comes out of nowhere and recedes just as quick. There is no winning with Sasuke, even if you play by his rules. Hell, especially if you play by his rules. All you'll get from that is pushed away.

Naruto groans and sits up, hanging his head in his hands. He's damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't. What is he supposed to do? His options seem to be slim. He can sit here and agonize over this for the rest of the night, and probably the rest of the week if Sasuke continues his game. He could talk to Sasuke about this and then agonize over losing the raven because this is exactly what he feared. Or, he could just go over to his house right now and lay it all out on the line, and not let him back out of what they started.

Only one of those seems likely to work.

* * *

Storming over to Sasuke's in the middle of the night on a Sunday might now be the best idea Naruto has ever had. But seeing as he's already here, and the living room light is on, there's no point in turning back.

Huffing fiercely, Naruto slams the jeep door shut harshly and stomps to the front door, rapping loudly for the jerk's attention. The blonde doesn't have to wait long. An extremely irritated Sasuke opens the door, eyes narrowing as a scowl graces his face.

"Dobe." He bites out, annoyance evident in his voice.

Naruto's own agitation prickles at the rude greeting. "Hello to you too. We need to talk."

Sasuke scoffs, moving to close the door. "Not now.'

Naruto puts a hand on the door quickly. "Yes, now. I drove forty minutes to get here."

"Who's fault is that?" The raven scoffs and rolls his eyes before Naruto even has time to answer. To the blonde's surprise, Sasuke pushes the door open slightly allowing Naruto just enough room to slip past.

"I had this whole speech planned out." Naruto rants as he walks into the familiar foyer. "I was gonna tell you how it is and everything."

Sasuke walks past him to the living room just off from the foyer. Without even acknowledging the blonde's presence, he casually takes a seat on the couch and returns to whatever book he was reading before Naruto came over.

"You don't have anything to say? Nothing at all?" Naruto huffs out, already getting angry with this stoic asshole.

Sasuke doesn't bother to look at Naruto as he speaks. "And how is it, dobe?"

Well, that's the end of Naruto's rope. "How is it?" He seethes out. "It's fucking miserable, teme! I'm sick of this whole fucking thing. I don't want you to just be there when it suits you or when it's convenient. I want you around consistently. And without the fucking attitude." Naruto breathes in deeply, running a hand through his hair. "There was nothing wrong with the way things were. Why screw it up?"

"Am I not allowed to change my mind?"

"Not when it's because you're just running away!"

"Did it occur to you that I might not want you anymore?"

Naruto gawks, taken aback. "Just like that, teme?" He raises his arms in a shrug. "You lose interest that quick?"

Sasuke finally turns his attention to Naruto, eyes narrowed harshly. "So what, dobe?"

"You're such an asshole. It's times like these that I don't even know why I'm into you."

"We've never been on good ground with each other. You chose to get involved knowing that."

"Yeah, because I thought something was different now."

"You can't even admit that you're into guys. Why would anything be different?"

Growling in irritation, Naruto briskly walks over to Sasuke, caging the raven between his arms and the couch. "I'm into you, Sasuke, okay? It should be obvious I want you."

Sasuke holds his gaze, trying to keep a wavering frown in place. "I don't want you." Despite the harsh words, Naruto can see Sasuke's features soften just slightly as he says them.

Before the blonde can stop and over-analyze what he's about to do, he moves himself to lean in front of Sasuke, and quickly presses his lips to the ravens. He pulls away just as quickly as he started. Or at least, he tries to.

Sasuke's hand comes flashing forward, going around the blonde's shoulder and gripping the back of his neck, pulling Naruto back into him. Like hell this asshole doesn't want me, Naruto thinks smugly. The raven presses the blonde against him as if he's been waiting ages to have the lithe body lined against his again.

Naruto can't say he's doing much better. Being so close to Sasuke ignites a familiar heat in his stomach. The blonde threads his hand through the raven's hair, pulling back to arch his neck forward. Naruto moans softly as their kiss because a battle for dominance.

Naruto feels Sasuke lift a hand to his hip, moving under the fabric of his shirt. The blonde shivers as a trail of fire is left where the raven touches.

"Sasuke," Naruto whines out once he manages to pull away from the searing kiss. The blonde fiddles with the hem of the raven's shirt, half uncertain and too distracted from the other boys roaming hands.

"What do you want, Naruto?" The blonde glances down at the sound of his name, immediately drawn into waiting onyx orbs.

Blushing, he tugs again. "Off."

Sasuke leans forward, catching Naruto's lips in a rough kiss. He pulls away slightly, bringing Naruto's shirt up slowly as he does so. The blonde raises his arms, allowing the garment to be tossed to the floor.

"Your turn." He mutters between kisses. Sasuke doesn't protest as Naruto nervously glides his hands back to the raven's waist. Agonizingly slow, he pushes the top up, grazing his palms up Sasuke's sides and over his arms as he pulls the shirt from his body. It gets tossed to the floor to be forgotten as well.

Naruto inhales deeply as he lets his hands trail over Sasuke's nicely sculpted body. He's not a body builder by any means, but damn if the boy doesn't have some nice abs. Mild jealously courses through the blonde as he wonders what he'd have to do to look like this. He's too scrawny to put on muscle like that.

"Dobe." Naruto raises his gaze once again to meet Sasuke's, noting a hint of uncertainty in his features. "What are we doing?"

Naruto continues to let his hands roam, not halting just because of the sudden tension building up. "I'm showing you that I want you." The blonde drops one hand to lightly run over the obvious bulge in Sasuke's thin pants. "And you're proving that you're a liar."

Sasuke inhales sharply, delivering a glare to the blonde. "A liar?"

Naruto nods, pressing a quick kiss to Sasuke's willing mouth. "You want me, teme."

Sasuke places his hands firmly on Naruto's sides, pushing him up straight. "Is this to prove a point? Do you want this?"

Naruto doesn't feel he should even have to answer that. Isn't it obvious? He wouldn't have started this if he didn't. "I want it, Sasuke. I told you that."

"What is "it"?"

Naruto rolls his eyes. "Tonight, I'm not sure. Not… you know," he says with implication, causing Sasuke to roll his eyes, "but we can do things. Like what you tried to start in my kitchen."

Sasuke's contemplation of their current state of affairs seems to fade out at this, replaced with a smirk. "Not going to try getting away this time?"

Naruto grins as Sasuke's grip on his hips releases, allowing the blonde to return to that delicious mouth. "Wouldn't dream of it." He mumbles out against the raven's lips.

Taking all this as permission to do as he pleases, Naruto pushes Sasuke to rest against the back of the couch. Scooting himself down just a little, Naruto bends over the raven, taking a last rough kiss before moving to his neck, mimicking the actions he remembers to feel good.

Sasuke trails a hand up Naruto's back, easing into his hair while he tilts his head to the side, accommodating the blonde's ministrations.

Not wasting any time, Naruto trails light kisses down the raven's collarbone and chest before reaching his destination. Without the slightest bit of shame, Naruto locks his lips around a pale bud, earning a sharp breath from the raven. The grip on Naruto's hair tightens, though he doesn't try pulling him away.

The blonde lightly bites down before swirling his tongue about. He shivers as Sasuke's free hand settles on his waist. Naruto switches his target to the other side, but not before taking a glance at Sasuke. The boy has his eyes closed and his head tilted back, seeming to be fully enjoying himself. Naruto grins at the sight, beyond thrilled he can get such an expression from the Uchiha.

Breathing in heavily and closing his eyes, the blonde steels himself for what he's about to do. As his mouth finds its way to its destination, his hand works towards its own. Naruto slowly dips his fingers under the waistband of Sasuke's pants, followed by his palm. Tilting his hand to follow the length of the raven, Naruto slowly wraps his hand around the hard shaft.

He's not sure if the sharp intake of breath is his own or Sasuke's, but his grip tightens and his eyes fly open, looking upward from beneath his lashes. Sasuke has his gaze trained on the blonde, but all Naruto can pay attention to are those half opened lips, begging to be covered – which is exactly what Naruto does.

He pushes upwards, at first placing a chaste kiss against the raven but quickly going back for something more. He slides his hand down Sasuke's length as he does so, earning a quick bite to his bottom lip.

Both of Sasuke's hands momentarily leave their place to pull the ravens pants down his hips. Naruto moans appreciatively against Sasuke's mouth at the sudden freedom afforded to his hand. Having someone else in his palm is a strange sensation, but Naruto can't say he dislikes it. He already knows how to move his hand to get those nice little breathy gasps from the raven, as well as the perfect amount of pressure on different strokes. There are definitely perks to working with the same equipment as his own.

Naruto trails light kisses along Sasuke's jaw before dipping back into his neck, sucking against the pulse he finds there. The arch up into his hand that he's rewarded with makes him grin. He's becoming fond of this responsive Sasuke.

"Dobe." Sasuke mumbles out in a low, husky voice. Tingles run down Naruto's spine at the sound; no man should get to sound that sexually for any purpose. The blonde lifts his head to see what his attention was called for, but Sasuke is not looking at him. He has his eyes languidly closed while his hand squeezes Naruto's side.

Naruto understands that look. Simultaneously, he presses an open kiss to Sasuke's mouth and increases his pace and grip. The raven lets out a breathy moan and thrusts into Naruto's hand. The blonde groans low in his throat as he feels Sasuke's release. Shuddering, Sasuke's back falls against the couch. Smiling at the boy underneath him, Naruto places small kisses along his jaw, stealing one from the raven's lips before leaning back.

What is he supposed to do about this mess in his hand? At home, he'd be more than comfortable getting this cleaned up, but here he's not so certain. He wonders if he should go to the bathroom at the end of the hall, or if there are any Kleenex nearby.

He doesn't have to wonder for long, though. Without warning, Naruto finds himself being pushed backwards to lay flat on the couch.

"Use this to clean yourself." Sasuke tosses his shirt at Naruto, who doesn't know what to be more surprised at. Sasuke telling him to use shirt as a towel, or Sasuke straddling him with a very suggestive glint in his eye.

"Teme," the blonde tries to start, but is quickly cut off with a kiss. A shuddering moan is pulled from Naruto's throat at the ruthless nature of the raven above him. Whether this is punishment for getting to be in control before, or just Sasuke's way of doing things, Naruto can't tell. Not that he really cares all that much. What matters is he has _Sasuke_ above him.

The raven trails his mouth teasingly down the blonde's skin, never lingering in one spot too long. A new batch of shivers breaks out along Naruto's skin with each area his lips touch. He can't tell if he's far too worked up from everything or if Sasuke is just that good.

It's not a surprise when the ravens mouth finds a sensitive nub to wrap around, but the blonde can't help the moan that slips through or the slight arch of his back.

Sasuke continues his administrations with perfect clarity, knowing just what to do to make Naruto damn near beg for more. He's not even touching me yet, Naruto thinks in a pleasured haze, and I'm about to lose it.

Finally, when Naruto feels a handle slip down to deftly undo his painfully tight jeans – God, he's been too focused on the raven to even care about his own problem – he lets out a groan of appreciation. That appreciation is quickly replaced with embarrassment as the situation catches up to the blonde.

"Sasuke," Naruto mumbles out, panicked, "I don't – "

"Dobe." Sasuke lifts his head to place a simple kiss on Naruto's mouth, before leaning their foreheads together. "Just feel." With that, Sasuke's smooth, cool hand wraps around the blonde's length and starts pumping.

Naruto moans and drops his head back, reveling in the pleasure. God, who knew another's hand could feel so much better?

The ravens mouth starts a new, slow descent down Naruto's body, ripping needy mewls from the blonde. It doesn't concern the blonde when he feels Sasuke place butterfly kisses on his stomach, but when that mouth disappears altogether, it strikes the blonde he should be curious.

Curiosity is the least of his emotions when he feels a hot, wet cavern engulf the head of his cock. Gasping in shocked pleasure, Naruto bucks his hips upwards into that sinful mouth and threads a hand tightly through Sasuke's hair. He swears he means to tell Sasuke to stop – this is dangerous and a step farther that he agreed to – but damn if the words aren't stuck in his throat.

Somewhere in the pleasure-laced haze of his mind, Naruto notes Sasuke placing a hand on his hip, trying to calm his frantic need to have more. The blonde tries to still himself but it feels impossible. The heat coiling in his stomach is begging to have a release, threatening Naruto's sanity along with it. Sasuke is taking his agonizingly sweet time drawing his mouth up and down the blondes length. Naruto can't find the voice between moans to beg him to _please, hurry_.

Maybe the raven decides he's tortured the blonde enough; Naruto could cry with joy when he feels Sasuke pick up the pace and pressure. The blonde whines out a breathy whine that sound similar to stop as he tugs on the back of Sasuke's hair. He's so close. The raven needs to stop before –

Naruto arches his back and thrusts into that waiting mouth one last time. His back falls heavy against the couch while he lays trying to catch his breath. Through half lidded eyes he watches Sasuke run a thumb over the corner of his mouth before popping it inside to suck off whatever he found.

Strangely, the blonde can't even find the shame to blush at that. "I like this couch," he muses idly, nestling back into the cushions with closed eyes. "Good things happen here."

He hears Sasuke scoff before something hits his face. Peeking an eye open, he sees it's just his previously discarded shirt. "Shut up, dobe."

The raven is now standing; with a quick glance down at the blonde, he rolls his eyes and walks out of the room.

Well, Naruto thinks idly, that might be a good sign? They haven't entered angry territory yet, so hopefully this whole little event wasn't unwelcome. Naruto snorts at that notion. There was nothing unwelcome about all that – from either of them. A little confusing and unexpected, sure, but doing things in the heat of the moment has that effect.

"Come on," Naruto hears called from the stairs. By the time he sits up, Sasuke is already at the top and out of sight. The blonde groans and stands up on shaky legs. Maybe he's had enough time to calm down from his orgasm high, or maybe it's the feeling returning to his legs, but the gravity of the situation at hand crashes down on him.

Fuck, he thinks with no lack of panic, what are we doing? Just hours ago he didn't want anything to do with me, and now I'm staying the night again. The situation seems too surreal for the blonde to take in, worrying about the implications of _everything_. Is it okay to stay when Sasuke doesn't know how the blonde feels towards him? Is it okay for Naruto to stay when Sasuke doesn't feel the same way? Do they have to talk about this before anything can go forward? God, do they have to talk?

Naruto can feel his face flushing with each footfall up those stairs to meet the raven. He muses momentarily that he could just ask to stay in the guest room, but what's the point? They've shared a bed before and he doesn't think anything about tonight is going to change Sasuke's mind on it being unnecessary.

The blonde breathes in a few shaky breaths when he reaches the doorway, peering in to see a lack of a raven. Timidly, he steps into the room and pads over to the bed, glancing around the room for his _friend_. Yeah, right, Naruto thinks scornfully. Whatever they are, 'friend' doesn't cover it.

"Get changed." Jumping at the phantom voice, Naruto frantically turns around to watch Sasuke come out of the bathroom.

"Changed?" Naruto looks down at his clothes. There's nothing wrong with his clothes. Nothing got on him during their little excursion.

"You're not sleeping in jeans. There's clothing sitting on the counter." Sasuke nods towards the bathroom, taking languid steps to his desk.

"Oh, okay." The blonde mumbles out dully, happy to make a dash for the bathroom where he can die in mortification on his own.

Naruto pulls the simple sleepwear on in an embarrassed haze, thinking of other hands that had been on his body just moments before. Of all the things he was prepared for and expecting tonight, this was _not_ one of them. He only meant to come over here and yell at Sasuke about being an insensitive prick and to set things straight between them. But this is not straight. This is zig-zagged and curving all over the place.

Steeling his nerves, Naruto marches out into the bedroom prepared to have the talk he came over here for anyways. Who cares if it's a bit late and more… Interesting things have already happened? Or that he's damn exhausted and Sasuke is already lying in bed, looking the height of comfort?

The blondes steps falter as he gets closer, and nervous butterflies take up a dance in his stomach. Why does everything have to be made so difficult? Why can't he just crawl into that bed with an obviously willing Sasuke and enjoy his night?

"Turn off the light, dobe." Sasuke speaks softly, and Naruto can tell he's ready to finish off this night with a decent round of sleep. Unfortunately for the raven, Naruto has other plans.

"We need to talk, teme." Naruto holds his place in the center of the room, not making any motion to come forward or go back. He's just stuck.

Sasuke sighs and eyes him wearily. "Really dobe, not now."

Naruto sucks in a sharp breath, shaking his head. "Please, Sasuke. I won't be able to sleep with all this tumbling through my head."

"Fine," Sasuke concedes easily – perhaps he really is too tired to do this, "but turn the light off and come here."

Feeling these are reasonable requests that he can work with, Naruto promptly does as requested. He has to stifle a groan of contentment as he crawls into the bed, not realizing his own fatigue. Being this close to Sasuke again, though, dredges up new, recent memories that form an invisible blush in the darkness of the room.

Naruto opens his mouth to say something, but everything seems to get stuck in his throat at once, leaving him mute and unable to go through with all the things he had planned. What does manage to escape is a small question. "… Was I too forward?"

The blonde feels Sasuke shift slightly, perhaps to turn his head in Naruto's direction. "You were bold tonight, but nothing that's not expected from your brash decision making."

"Was it… Okay?"

Sasuke sighs and Naruto feels the blanket between them ruffle. Moments later a cool hand lazily drapes over the blondes side, slightly tugging him closer.

"Quit worrying about everything, dobe. We can figure it out later."

"That doesn't work well with you," Naruto says in a hushed tone, "later usually ends up with you trying to get away from me."

"For good reason."

Naruto resists a scoff. "Running away rarely has a good reason, especially when it's from being scared."

"I don't want to deal with this."

Naruto can hear the panicked sincerity in Sasuke's voice, though he doesn't quite understand.

"Deal with what?"

It's a long moment before Sasuke speaks up again; so long that Naruto wonders if he needs to repeat himself, but the raven beats him to it. "Being your first. Being in a relationship. One of us getting hurt. You not knowing what you really want or if this is just an experiment." _If I'm just an experiment_ , Naruto can almost hear being said after that, a twinge of guilt wrenching his stomach.

"Sasuke," Naruto props himself up on his elbows, staring in the general direction he thinks the ravens face to be, "I am really so sorry if I was unclear or rude about the whole public thing. I have no problem with being with you in public, and if you're willing to face the wrath of the fangirls, then do whatever you want when we're at school." Naruto takes a breath. "I'm not ashamed of liking you or anything that we're doing here. It's just really… Nerve-wracking since it is my first time." Naruto blushes and settles back down. "You'll help me figure it out though, right?"

Sasuke doesn't say anything for a long time, making Naruto think he might have fallen asleep during his little speech. The blondes eyes widen as he feels Sasuke's arm tighten around his back, dragging him closer to his chest.

"We'll figure it out, dobe."

Naruto blushes against the warm chest he's been cradled into, but can't find any more words that need to be said. Maybe, he wishes hopefully, this can work. There are still so many things being left unsaid and unaddressed, but it's not like tonight is going to be the last. Naruto can force more heart to heart conversations out of Sasuke, even if it's just pillow talk.


	13. Conduct

**Author's Note :** Okay, so. Hello. It's been awhile. I'm sorry for not updating in two weeks, but I've had real life things going on, ya'll. My classes started back up on the 1st and I'm trying to complete 12 credits in 3 weeks – anyone who's in Uni will understand the horror of those words – and I just got a new job that's taking a toll on me. Prior to this, I was working around 20 or less hours a week. This new job is 40 hours. So I now have full time cram classes plus a full time job. My motivation to write is seriously lacking because I'm just exhausted.

So, from here on out, I will keep to posting new chapters on Mondays – BUT – I will not promise that it will be _every_ Monday. If there is no update by 10:30pm on Monday night (I go to work at 11pm), then there won't be a chapter till the next week (if then, even).

I'm sorry if this puts a damper on some spirits, but I just can't juggle all three of these things on a regular basis and not suffer a breakdown. I hope you guys understand and just enjoy the chapters when they do come.

Also, this is only HALF a chapter. 5,000 words. I'm sorry! But I give you a kinky scene to make up for my horrible authorship. Please be sated. The rest of Ch. 13 will be posted next week.

* * *

 **Beta's Note :** Hey guys! We've missed you as much as you've probably missed us! As AJ explained a lot is changing, it's disappointing but that's life. I'm working on getting a job as well so things will be tight between us when it comes to hours. Granted it takes me less time to read and make corrections than it takes for her to write but don't fret! We will finish this. Hopefully you guys enjoy this part of the chapter!

* * *

 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse. **  
**

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

* * *

 **Part III : Experimenting**

 **Chapter 13 : Behavior**

* * *

Finally.

Something seems to have given, if the Uchiha's resigned nature Monday morning is any indication. Kakashi isn't sure how the little blonde beat some tolerance into Sasuke, but he managed. They came waltzing – well, Naruto was waltzing and Sasuke was dragging his heels – into homeroom together. Sasuke didn't have a chance to try to sit alone before Naruto was tugging on his jacket, pulling him to the back with him.

Kakashi lets out an inaudible sigh of relief. He doesn't want to admit that maybe he was getting a little afraid of his chances with this bet. That ill-tempered raven can be so difficult to reason with; perhaps he was setting his sights too high on thinking Naruto could handle him.

But here they are once more. Some sort of breakthrough must have happened. Hopefully it will be the last one needed. God knows Uzumaki Naruto is not the most patient person in the world. If any other issues arise, it will be best if the boys deal with it in a timely and concise manner.

Kakashi keeps an unsuspecting eye on them throughout homeroom, oddly elated by the easy companionship between them. He realizes it was rash and intrusive to make a bet concerning the relationships of his students, but perhaps this really was needed. He's never seen Sasuke look this at ease, not even in the prior couple of months. Whatever happened to get them back together seems to have made him lighten up considerably. It's terrifying to Kakashi, to be quite honest, that Naruto has the ability to tame even _that_. Is there no limit to the blonde's charismatic capabilities?

The silver haired teacher is happy to note that he's not the only one pleasantly surprised at the turn of events. When Kiba enters the room, the shock is evident on his face that Sasuke has rejoined them in the back, but it quickly morphs into a pleased smile by the time he sits down.

Given Naruto's over-the-top flirtatious attitude that has been thrown at females up to this point, Kakashi is appreciative that the blonde has an accepting friend like Kiba. The brunette effortlessly molded this new concept into their friendship without giving Naruto a moment of doubt.

Not just him, either. Kakashi has heard several little rumors of Ino and Naruto being back on good terms. That doesn't surprise the teacher in the least. It was only a matter of time before Ino cracked and wanted a comrade, seeking help in an old friend. It's better for that girl to be on Naruto's side, anyways. Perhaps she can talk Sakura into leaving Sasuke alone, so Kakashi doesn't have to put boys up to asking her out.

Kakashi wasn't surprised when she said yes to Kei; he bares the same basic semblance of Sasuke. Girls go for that tall, dark, and handsome vibe for some reason. The silver haired teacher supposed he could make efforts to get Ino and her crush together, but he already has one project going on.

The final bell goes off, signaling the official start of homeroom. Ah, he actually has announcements to give out today. Good luck on that one, he reprimands himself. These students are used to being undisciplined chatterboxes.

Kakashi clears his throat and casts a bored glance around the room. Everyone settles down and turns their attention forward at the uncharacteristic interruption. Everyone except Naruto, who's still looking at Sasuke like he hung the moon in the sky. Kakashi resists rolling his eyes. That boy has it bad, whether he admits it or not.

"Midterms are coming up soon." A collective groan and murmur sounds from around the room at Kakashi's statement. "Wednesday will be a half day of school for Teacher Conferences." That seems to perk them up. The silver haired teacher chuckles to himself; some things never change, like students loathing school. And here he tries so hard to make it enjoyable.

Oh well, he thinks vacantly, lifting his glorious little book back up to pass the time. At least he enjoys himself.

* * *

"Tell me why we're studying at Java's again, when I have to go back to your house anyways to get my car and stuff?" Sasuke rolls his eyes and wonders if he should even bother replying. Maybe if he stays quiet long enough the idiot will stop pestering him.

"I really could have drove myself today, anyways, you know. You just want to get me back at your house." Naruto casts a flirty grin over his shoulder, much to Sasuke's annoyance. Either the blonde is in soaring spirits today, or he's getting far too comfortable with the raven. Naruto has had his affectionate attention all over the raven since they woke up. It's hard to tell if this is the blondes way of showing he truly is sure of what he wants, or if he's basking in having Sasuke's attention again.

He will admit, that might be his fault on some level. He caved embarrassingly easy last night to Naruto's advances, and even allowed him to stay the night. At which point he openly admitted some things he would rather keep to himself. There's no need to be getting the blonde all riled up and filled with hope. He stands by what he said; they will figure this out together. But the idea that at the end of it all there will be a relationship is absurd and not happening.

The raven did learn a few things last night that he can't complain about, though. Like how Naruto is blessed with a sensitivity that leaves him shaking – a fact Sasuke doubts the blonde even realizes when he's in the throes of passion. The boy has a way of focusing in on the pleasure and ignoring everything else.

He also took note that Naruto can be quite forward and giving when pushed. Usually the blonde is too shy and embarrassed about these things to reciprocate, let alone start. Anyone else, Sasuke would be annoyed at the back and forth method he has to take with getting anywhere. With Naruto though, it's almost… Endearing. To see this charismatic and fiery boy get taken down to Hinata-levels of shy is entertaining to no end.

Inhibition doesn't seem to be a problem for the blonde today, though. If Sasuke wasn't so irritated with himself for giving in last night, he might give Naruto a dose of his medicine. That would calm him down from embarrassment.

"Hey, boys." AJ smiles and nods at them as they come to the counter. "Nice to see you coming in together." The blonde owner gives Naruto a knowing smile before turning a grin onto Sasuke. "You want the same thing as usual?"

The raven gives her a curt nod and turns to go to the usual booth. Dealing with AJ _and_ Naruto is not in the cards for today. That woman is too humored by their interactions; Sasuke thinks she might be worse about instigating events than Kakashi.

Not long after Sasuke takes a seat comes the blonde. Naruto slides into the booth across from him, practicality bouncing with energy.

The raven rolls his eyes, casting a narrowed gaze at the boy. "Why are you so hyper today?"

Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "Is it a crime to be in a good mood?"

"You haven't been like this in a while."

"Maybe I got a pick-me-up last night."

Sasuke scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Remind me not to it again. The aftermath is atrocious."

"Bullshit, teme. You know you want me."

"The way you flirt is shameful." Sasuke narrows his eyes at the blonde trying to feign innocence; he can't hold his composure for long before Naruto lets out a bark of laughter and turns a grin to the raven.

"Stop being so conceited. I'm not even remotely flirting with you, teme."

"Then you're just being obnoxious today."

"Wouldn't you usually say I always am?"

Sasuke scoffs and does not deny the validity of the statement. "Assignment, dobe."

Naruto rolls his eyes but dutifully takes his notebook out, as prepared to start as he'll ever be.

"Focus is behavior." Sasuke begins briskly. "What is social behavior?"

"I guess it's the way we act or respond to situations? I don't really see how it would differ from attitude."

"Attitude is your thought process towards an idea or person. Behavior is how you choose to conduct yourself once you're established your attitude. They meld together, but they're different concepts." Sasuke can tell from the look on Naruto's face, he's not grasping this concept. "Let's say you form the opinion that something is good, thus giving a positive attitude towards it. The behavior you'll likely exhibit will also be positive. If you have a negative opinion and attitude about something, your behavior will follow suit."

"What if someone has a positive view, but shows negative behavior?"

Sasuke sighs. "That's a dysfunctional personality trait. Mixing positive and negative responses isn't considered normal or typical behavior."

"Oh, so you admit you're abnormal?"

Sasuke levels a glare at the grinning blonde, but the raven doesn't rise to the bait. Naruto is pushing his luck today. It's baffling where this sudden raucous behavior is coming from.

"Question two," Sasuke states bitingly, "how might one person's behavior influence another?"

"I think people are easily swayed by another person's behavior. Like, if you're rude to someone, they'll probably treat you the same. Same with being nice. Of course, there's always the exception to the rule." Naruto glares at Sasuke and sniffs, obviously displeased.

That's just fine with the raven. He knows how to deal with an irritated Naruto. An overly friendly blonde, though…

"Behavior can be influenced by many factors, but human influence is a primary cause. That being said, there's no reason not to keep a level mind when confronted with outside behavior."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, dobe," Sasuke can't help the small smirk gracing his lips at the unhindered irritation Naruto is displaying, "that just because you want to throw yourself at me, doesn't mean I have to return the act."

Blushing furiously, Naruto drops his gaze to the table. "I already told you, teme, I'm not doing anything like that. I'm just happy that you're not avoiding me anymore. I feel better having you around."

Sasuke rolls his eyes but makes no comment. He fails to see what is so fantastic about spending time together; he's never kind or outgoing towards Naruto, and he works hard to not provide him with any expectations. There's something so vastly innocent about the attention Naruto covets. That's what throws Sasuke off the most. Naruto doesn't seem to want any specific thing out of him.

He's just so… Pure. Is it even fair that he's the one who's being sentenced to ruin that?

"Sasuke?" Naruto peers up at the raven curiously, reaching a hand out to tap his forehead. "You okay in there?" The blondes hand falls back to the table, though his eyes stay locked onto Sasuke.

"Question three," the raven states automatically, not sure how to reply to the inquiry. "Can you judge someone's personality based on their behavior?"

Naruto studies Sasuke's blank expression a moment longer before answering. "I think you can sometimes. Like we said, people are influenced constantly so their behavior will likely shift along with it. But for the most part, I think personality can be based around behavior."

"It also depends on the length of time you've known a person for. You cannot correlate someone's personality with their behavior if you've just met them; that's too unstable of a decision. You have to know someone's everyday actions and behaviors before you can say whether they match their personality."

"Yeah, I can see that." Naruto nods in agreement. "Even once you know someone, they can still show behavior that doesn't match their usual personality." The blonde bites his lip and turns towards the window. "Do I really annoy you? I thought we we'd gotten somewhere but it's so hard to tell with you."

Gotten somewhere? One blowjob and an exhausted confession of nerves does not mean they have progressed to anything. It means Sasuke needs to learn better control over his libido when presented with hot blondes, and to not partake in pillow talk.

Voicing this to Naruto does not seem like a good idea, though. Yes, the blonde is being too forward for Sasuke's taste, but he's not wanting to push him away again. That option achieves nothing, except for making Naruto pushier. In an attempt to keep his stress levels down, Sasuke will just deal with it.

"Stop worrying, dobe." The raven firmly states. "I said we'd figure things out. You've never cared before if you annoy me. Don't start now."

Naruto brightens considerably, dragging his eyes to the boy in front of him. "Yeah, teme? You promise?"

The raven scoffs and rolls his eyes. "How do ethics play a role in behavior?" He counters the unwanted question with a useful one. No sense in making promises. They're too easily broken.

"Ethics," the blonde repeats back dully, seemingly unable to recall their numerous prior discussions.

"Ethics are the moral beliefs and concepts that each person follows. In other words, how does your moral outlook affect your behavior?"

"I guess some people try to adhere to a moral code that guides their behavior. But, more often than not, I feel like people just do whatever they want to."

"I won't disagree. People will say they have a moral belief for their behavior, but not hold themselves to it when push comes to shove. Or, they try to excuse their behavior by saying it follows their ethics."

"Exactly!" Naruto nods emphatically. "This is why I don't drag morals into my shit. If I do something, then I do it. No need to excuse it or reason it with ethics."

Sasuke's gaze drifts up to the blonde momentarily before a smirk breaks out on his face. "You're a piece of work."

"Is that good or bad?"

The raven shrugs his shoulders. "It's good on you."

Naruto beams. "That sounds like a compliment." The blonde holds up a hand and rolls his eyes. "I know, next question to avoid having an actual talk."

Sasuke scoffs light heartedly. "We've been talking, dobe."

"This project doesn't count as a conversation."

"Why not? We learn more about each other through this than anything else."

"That's your fault." Naruto argues. "I'm perfectly open. You're the one who's hush hush about your life."

"Question five," Sasuke smirks at Naruto's scoff, "how does attitude influence behavior?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow and waits to see if the blonde will answer the redundant question. They've covered this ground in an earlier explanation.

Naruto leans his head back against the booth. "You answer it."

"No need." Sasuke starts packing up his stuff, not stopping even as the blonde sends an unsure glance his way. "We already answered it."

Naruto shrugs his shoulders, presumably not going to argue with this infallible logic presented to him. He follows Sasuke's example and starts packing up. "What are we going to do back at your place?"

Sasuke casts a haughty glance at the blonde beside him. "You're getting your stuff and going home."

"Why?" The confusion lacing Naruto's voice is enough to make Sasuke roll his eyes.

"You stayed last night."

"So?"

"So," Sasuke huffs out, "you can go home tonight. I don't need you over every night."

"You didn't seem to be complaining last night when you were cuddling me."

The raven shifts a disapproving glance to the boy slipping into the passenger seat. Is it necessary to bring such things up? He's not winning himself any favors.

"Will you help me with my homework?" Naruto gives a pleading glance to Sasuke, boyishly pouting.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Want me to cook dinner for you too?"

"That would be nice," the blonde replies thoughtfully.

Sasuke doesn't know whether to ignore the blonde or berate him. There is the third option of humoring him, though.

That offers up the possibility of Naruto thinking he can stay again. Which, sure, doesn't sound like an atrocious idea. But Naruto might take it to mean more than it does. Too many nights together seems like a commitment. That's the last thing Sasuke is offering tonight.

The drive back to the ravens house is surprisingly quiet – Sasuke didn't know Naruto could shut his mouth for this long.

Deciding to break the silence, Sasuke asks the blonde what homework he has to do.

"Japanese and Physics." The blonde says easily. "Do you think we could start studying in the library again?"

They hadn't been back to the library together since their dispute. Even today, when Sasuke had to wait for Naruto till 4:30, he spent it in the student council room, going over initiatives and complaints.

"Yeah, dobe. That's fine." It's strange for the blonde to show an interest in studying, but Sasuke isn't going to question it. The answer would probably be something like "I get to spend more time with you" or other statements that do not need to be stated.

The raven resists sighing in frustration and keeps his eyes on the road. He's thinking too much about this. He should focus his attention on something worthwhile. Something that doesn't concern Naruto.

"I'll help, and then you're going home." No need to keep him around any longer than necessary. The raven parks the car, cutting off the engine and makes the mistake of glancing at Naruto. To his surprise, blue eyes are already on him.

Before Sasuke can open his mouth to say anything, the blonde is pressing forward, sliding his lips against the ravens. Sasuke suppresses a moan, eyelids falling shut as Naruto's warm hand roams along his neck.

Something in the back of Sasuke's mind tells him he needs to stop giving so easily to the blonde against him, but hell if he could get himself to care. To think he was the one who started this whole thing. Naruto is doing a very good job at continuing it.

"Dobe," Sasuke mutters out between rough kisses, "we need to go inside."

"Fine here," the blonde growls out, nipping at Sasuke's jawline.

The raven lets out a ragged breath and reaches a hand to the car handle, pushing the door open. The sudden chill hits him like a bucket of water, bringing him to his senses. The raven blinks his eyes a few times, clearing his mind and pushing the blonde away slightly.

"Teme," Naruto whines out with a pout. His kiss swollen lips are far too enticing for Sasuke's sanity. That, along with the hooded eyes and the blush gracing his cheeks.

No, he tells himself sternly. He is not playing on Naruto's field. This is his game, and it will be done his way. With that sobering thought, Sasuke pushes out of the car, grabbing his bags on the way. He doesn't have to look behind him to know Naruto is following in a huff, if the slamming of the car door is any indication.

"Food or homework?" Sasuke asks over his shoulder. He's not sure if he's offering one or the other. Unfortunately, he doesn't know how much more time he can spend around the blonde and not throw him against a wall and push their boundaries.

"Food first." There's a happy lilt to Naruto's voice, making Sasuke roll his eyes. Too easy to please. "Let me help, yeah?"

The raven doesn't argue, allowing Naruto room to slip around him. The blonde immediately launches into preparations, content with his current work and ignoring Sasuke's existence. The raven sits back and lets him do as he wishes; it's like having a personal chef. One that he also gets to sleep with – given he doesn't send him home.

Which, he will be going home. There is no need for him to stay again. As much as he wants the physical relationship, Sasuke is positive this is meaning something entirely different to Naruto. Watching the blonde lollygag around the kitchen without a care in the world acknowledges this. If he really understood the dynamics of this arrangement, he wouldn't be so pleased. The raven isn't sure if it's best to let him live in his own little world, or try to talk about this.

Again.

"Dobe," Sasuke says coolly, "what do you think we're doing?" The ravens eyes follow the blonde as he bustles around the kitchen, hardly paying attention to anything other than the food.

"We're making dinner?" Blue eyes glance over quickly before returning to the pot on the stove.

Sasuke sighs; he's going to have to spell this out for the blonde. "What do you think our relationship is, in the simplest terms?"

Naruto pauses for a moment, letting that sink in. "Fuck buddies?" He turns a raised eyebrow to an exasperated raven. Sasuke waves a hand in the air, agreeing to the term without vocalizing his displeasure for the phrase.

"And you're fine with that?"

"Sure?" Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "When we first started all this, that's what we agreed to. I don't expect that to change."

Sasuke raises a disbelieving eyebrow. "You're really fine with that?"

"What do you want, teme?" The blonde finally turns his full attention to the raven. "Me to throw a tantrum and demand that you date me, when I don't think it's something either of us are wanting?" Naruto sighs and turns back to the stove. "I'm fine with how things are. I'm not gonna push."

Despite that Naruto is saying everything Sasuke wants to hear, the raven feels highly unsettled. It feels like the blonde is giving in far too easily to the dynamics that Sasuke is setting up. Few things in the raven's life turn out for the best, and he doesn't expect this to be one of them.

"Food's done!" Naruto hums happily as he gets out plates – disturbing Sasuke that he knows the layout of the kitchen already – and dishes out the food. "We can eat in here, yeah? I have nightmares about that dining room table combined with homework."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "And where do you suggest we study at?"

Naruto slides a plate in front of the raven. "You have a bedroom."

Onyx eyes narrow at the blonde. Is he trying to seduce his way into the ravens bed? Studying in his room is the worst idea; Sasuke's resolve towards Naruto is strained as it is.

"Bedrooms are not conducive to productive study sessions."

Naruto snorts and rolls his eyes. "Teme, you could study anywhere and be fine."

That's only true when he's not being tempted by stupid blondes that sprawl out on other people's beds.

A fact Naruto proves the moment they enter Sasuke's room after finishing dinner. Sasuke drops his bag beside his desk and sits down, watching as Naruto flops onto the bed.

"Okay." Naruto pulls his Physics book out of the bag next to him. "What are the answers?"

Sasuke scoffs at the hopeful idiot. "I'll help you, not do it for you."

"Fine," the blonde whines out, "come here and help."

"Just read the questions to me, dobe."

"That's too much effort." Naruto rolls onto his back and pouts, trailing pitiful eyes to the raven. "Can't we do something else?" The blonde stretches out, arching his back off the bed and groaning.

Sasuke sighs and stands up, casually coming to stand in front of the blonde. "Do you want to study or are you trying to seduce me?"

Naruto's eyes widen innocently. "I don't really want to study, but I wasn't trying anything either." The blonde reaches his arms out to trail along Sasuke's hips. "You want me enough that just stretching turns you on?" Naruto grins cockily and meets the ravens eyes. "You can have me, you know."

A jolt goes down Sasuke's spine at the offer. "Naruto," the raven runs a hand through blonde bangs, "do you know what you're saying?"

Blue eyes swim with confusion. "Um, I'm saying we can do stuff like last night?"

"Mmh," Sasuke mumbles in agreement, "just like last night, or more?"

"No sex." The blonde says quickly. "But," he hitches his fingers through the belt loops of Sasuke's pants and pulls him forward a step. "I can do more."

The raven smirks down at the blonde. "In this position?" Sasuke admires how close Naruto is to the edge of the bed. He could definitely take advantage of these circumstances.

"We can," Naruto says slowly, "but you'll be doing most of the work, I think."

That is more than fine with Sasuke. Being in control of the situation is not a problem. Sasuke nods in agreement, causing a small smile to play on Naruto's lips.

Naruto plays with the hem of Sasuke's shirt aimlessly. "Take this off, yeah?"

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke complies with the request, pulling the uniform top over his head and dropping it to the floor. "Are we leaving you dressed?"

"For now." Naruto slips a hand to the front of Sasuke's pants, making a fumbling attempt at the button. He bites his lip in frustration as he struggles, earning a small sigh from the raven. Sasuke drops his hands to cover Naruto's, making short work of the hindrance.

Naruto lets out a heavy breath, dragging the ravens attention to the deep blush covering his face.

"You sure you want to do this?" Sasuke soothingly drags his fingers down Naruto's scalp. In response, the blonde rolls his eyes and begins tugging the ravens pants down his hips. "I got this, teme." To prove his point, he lightly runs his palm over the bulge hidden by the tight, black boxers the raven is wearing.

Groaning lightly, Naruto drags the last article of clothing off Sasuke's body. If the blonde was blushing before, it was nothing compared to the hue he's sporting now. Naruto firmly wraps his hand around Sasuke's cock, trailing his eyes up the ravens body to meet onyx orbs.

Taking a deep breath, the blonde pushes himself further towards the edge of the bed, leaning up to run a quick lick along the raven's length. Sasuke groans, trailing his hand to cup Naruto's jawline and gently ease himself into that amazing mouth.

Without asking for permission a second time, Sasuke starts to guide the blondes movements to easily take him for the first time. While he wants to be gentle and good with Naruto, it's taking all the ravens self-restraint to not thrust straight into his throat. The idea of dealing with a gagging Naruto keeps him in check, though.

Naruto moans around the hard length and involuntarily swallows. Sasuke can feel the blonde trying to relax his throat to accept the intrusion, but the small movements are driving the raven crazy. Warm hands cup Sasuke's hips firmly. Whether to keep him from moving forward or to pull him closer, it doesn't seem Naruto can decide.

Or so Sasuke thinks. The little blonde god jerks Sasuke's hips forward and sucks all of him down his throat. Releasing a shaky breath, the raven stabilizes himself with a palm to the bed, forcing him to lean over Naruto – and giving him less room to pull away.

Moaning again, Naruto pushes back roughly on the raven's hips, releasing him with a pop. "Don't kill me, teme."

"Sorry," Sasuke apologizes softly. "Surprised me."

Naruto mumbles out some reply before pulling the raven back into his mouth. Letting out a soft, ragged breath, Sasuke cups Naruto's chin and tilts his head into a better position. He won't make the same mistake twice. As much fun as it would be to rough the blonde up a bit, he would like to receive this treatment in the future. And not be bitten.

"Dobe, pull me forward if you're okay with more." Fulfilling this request, Naruto tugs the raven into his mouth with a hard suck. _God dammit_ , Sasuke breathes hard. Does he have to be so eager and willing? This boy just jumps right into these things, despite never having done them. It's safe to say he's not concerned about his sexuality anymore.

With the heat coiling in his stomach, the raven can't help jerking his hips forward and increasing the grip on Naruto's chin. He's surprised he's lasted this long, considering how long it's been – combined with an eager mouth.

"Naruto." Sasuke breathes out. "Let go of my hips."

The blonde sucks the raven into his mouth one last time before releasing him. "Why?" Sasuke finds it difficult to answer that when Naruto runs his tongue along the bottom of his shaft and – oh, dear god, did he just suck even lower?

Sasuke closes his eyes and tries to breathe softly. "Because I'm close."

"Oh." And with that, Naruto pulls him forward once more and back into his enthusiastic mouth.

 _Fuck_. Sasuke presses his eyes tightly closed and sinks into that waiting mouth. A few quick thrusts and he moans slightly as he feels himself spilling down Naruto's throat. The raven pulls away and sinks down onto the mattress next to the blonde.

"Well." Sasuke rolls his eyes at the quipping blonde. "That was new and fun." Naruto runs a hand up Sasuke's chest, drawing his attention down to the boy beside him. "Teme, come down here for a moment." The blonde reaches his hand up to wrap around the ravens neck as he leans over, letting his mouth slide over Naruto's ever-eager one.

"You have too much clothing on." Clothing that Sasuke means to make short work of with Naruto's help. The little blonde leans up to allow Sasuke room to pull off his shirt, gladly dropping back down when it's been cast aside.

"Honestly, Sasuke," Naruto cuts in during the ravens descent down his stomach, "it's not gonna take much to get me off after that. A handjob is fine."

Sasuke scoffs and sends a glare up to the boy. "That's hardly adequate –"

"Oh, don't start. I want off _now_ , teme." The raven sighs in frustration but obeys the simple order, ripping Naruto's pants and boxers down his hips. As Sasuke wraps his hand around the blondes length, he pulls him into a rough kiss.

Moaning hotly into the ravens mouth, Naruto thrusts upwards into the hand gripping him. "Fuck, keep it tight, teme. I want it quick."

Sasuke smirks against the blondes mouth and does as requested. He can't argue with wanting to get him to cum quickly – the sooner this is done, the more control he'll have back over the situation. Particularly when they're both redressed.

"Mmh, Sasuke." Naruto moans out, begging his lover to increase his pace. "Just…" he trails off as he arches up into Sasuke's hand, moaning out his release. The blonde sighs, sinking into the bed, utterly relaxed.

"Don't get comfy, dobe." Sasuke places a quick kiss to Naruto's lips before pulling himself off and stalking off to the bathroom. "I'm taking a shower and then we _are_ doing your homework."

"Hey," Naruto leans up on his elbows. "Can I take a shower with you?"

Sasuke pauses and looks back at his blonde momentarily before sighing and continuing his trek. "Yeah, dobe. Come on."

* * *

After a tedious morning of classes, Sasuke is happy to be out for the afternoon. He can catch up on homework that a stupid blonde has distracted him from completing for the last two nights. Honestly, allowing Naruto to stay on a school night is not the wisest decision. They manage to do everything _but_ study.

After their shower – that Sasuke struggled to keep platonic – he only managed to get the blonde to do one assignment out of three, and then he wanted to watch a movie before going to sleep. Sasuke has half the mind to order Naruto to come over and do everything he's been assigned, but he knows it would be a wasted effort. They would just end up in Sasuke's bed again.

"Sasuke! Where are you going for lunch?" The lively blonde in question bumps into Sasuke's shoulder, announcing his presence well after his words already did.

The raven turns his head momentarily to glance at the boy. "I'm going home, dobe." Sasuke resists a shiver as his eyes trail to Naruto's lips, events from last night surfacing in his memory.

"Yeah?" Naruto turns worried eyes to the raven. "Are you sick? Feeling okay?"

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "I'm fine."

"Then why are you going home early?" The blonde looks truly perplexed, but then seems to have some moment of realization as he looks around the cramped parking lot. "You know, it looks like a lot of people are leaving early. What's going on?"

"Dobe, do you ever pay attention during class?"

The blonde shrugs his shoulders. "Why? Did something happen?"

Sasuke sighs; closing his eyes and praying for at least one day with Naruto that doesn't leave him exasperated. "Today is a half day for Teacher Conferences."

Blue eyes widen in surprise, before gaining a thrilled glint. "This is awesome!" A bounce enters the blondes step. "We can do something."

"No," Sasuke flat out denies the request immediately. "I'm going home."

"Come on, teme," Naruto whines, "it's a free day! We need to do something." He chews his bottom lip for a moment before gasping and grabbing Sasuke by the elbow. "We could go to the zoo! Today is the nicest day of the year so far! It's the perfect way to celebrate!"

Sasuke scoffs with no lack of amusement. "I'm not going anywhere, dobe."

"Please?" The blonde gives a puppy dog pout that does nothing to soften the raven. The little idiot really needs to learn what a lost cause is.

"Naruto, I said no." Before the boy in question has a chance to further complain about Sasuke's lack of involvement, a familiar ringtone starts playing. Distracted, Naruto looks at the raven's pocket pointedly.

"Be quiet." Sasuke glares at the screen of his phone before he even sees who it is that's calling. He knows the ringtone belongs to his brother. Ignoring it wouldn't be prudent; Itachi only calls when he plans on doing something that will affect Sasuke.

"Hello?" The raven answers aloofly, already irritated before the conversation even begins.

"Hello, Sasuke. How are you today?" The silky, placating tone of his brother greets him from the other end, riling the younger brother up by default. God, he hates the way Itachi can sound so collected.

"I'm fine. What did you call about?"

"Perhaps I just wanted to check in on my little brother?"

"Unlikely."

Itachi chuckles softly. Sasuke can imagine him slightly shaking his head with that condescending smile plastered to his face. "I'll be coming home for a couple days. I was hoping we could do something together. I'll be in town in the next hour."

Oh, no. Sasuke will not have anything to do with this. The only thing worse than talking to Itachi is seeing him.

"Unfortunately, I have already made plans and won't be home." The raven looks directly at Naruto and gives him a firm nod, signifying that he will be a part of this.

"Sasuke." The raven refuses the cringe he feels at the sound of his name from that mouth. "It's been months since I saw you. One dinner with your brother will not kill you."

Sighing in defeat, Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Dinner, then. I'll be home later this evening."

"Good." The pleased smile on Itachi's face can practically be felt through the phone. "Have fun with your current plans, Sasuke." The annoyed raven ends the call without saying goodbye, happy to be done with that conversation.

"So…" Sasuke's attention snaps over to a bewildered boy leaning against the hood of his car. "What was that about?"

"Nothing." Sasuke is not talking about his brother to Naruto. More questions will be raised that he doesn't want to attend to. "If you want to go to the zoo, get in."

Naruto beams and bounces on his feet to the passenger door. "Yeah! I knew you couldn't resist me!"

Sasuke scoffs. Hardly. The blonde is merely the lesser of two evils. He could either go home and have to deal with Itachi all afternoon and evening, or he could kill one part of that off. He might have to deal with Naruto for a few hours, but it's better than seeing his brother give him that sickening smile for any longer than necessary.

"Since it was my idea, I'll pay for the admission." Naruto gasps and turns to Sasuke quickly. "Do you like otters?"

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at the blonde, not able to resist a small smile. "Otters are fine."

"They're more than fine, teme! They're natures magic!" Naruto sighs melodramatically. "What about giraffes? And lions?"

Maybe Sasuke underestimated the idiots love for animals; the light in his eyes hasn't dimmed since he agreed to this. "Are we getting full pass tickets?"

"Of course! No other way to do it!" Naruto clicks his tongue and shakes his head. "We can spend all afternoon there, yeah? So, we can visit all the enclosures and the aquarium and maybe see a show?"

"Whatever you want." That seems like it will keep him away from Itachi long enough.

"The zoo closes at 5pm, so we only have six hours."

"Only, dobe?"

"The place is huge, teme. I can spend two days walking the zoo."

Sasuke will remember never to invite Naruto out to the zoo on a weekend.

"Is there anything you've already seen too many times at the zoo? We can skip those parts, maybe."

"I've never been."

An audible gasp is emitted from the raven's passenger who turns his whole body to glare at Sasuke. "How have you never been to the Konoha zoo? It's been a school trip at least three times."

"I never went. Skipped school those days."

"Only you, Sasuke, would skip school on the one day everyone actually wants to go."

"The zoo is useless. It's not educational. You just ogle captive animals."

"It's more than that!" Naruto returns to sitting properly. "There are those little info panels at every exhibit to teach you about the animals."

"Have you ever actually read one of those?"

"That's beside the point, teme."

It baffles Sasuke how he can be even remotely attracted to this person. He is the exact opposite of _everything_ appealing. Well, that's not entirely true. He was quite appealing the other night. Naruto looked particularly nice with water streaming down his body.

"Hey, teme, who were you on the phone with?"

And all nice imagery dissolves. Sasuke scowls at the road and works to push the thought of Itachi out again. It proves to be difficult when Naruto can't keep his mouth shut.

"Was it your brother?"

"Naruto," Sasuke punctuates each syllable, "do you want to go to the zoo?"

"Of course!"

"Then shut up."

"Someone's touchy." Naruto scoffs and seems to prepare himself to push the topic, but he stops and gasps like a five-year-old when the zoo sign comes up. "Finally! Here, teme, to pay the parking cost." The blonde pulls out his wallet and hands Sasuke a card.

The guard seems even less enthused with his job than Sasuke is to be here, monotonously handing the raven the parking pass and shooing them in. It's a stark contrast to the ball of energy in the seat next to Sasuke. One saving grace of the day is the empty parking lot; apparently not many people want to visit the zoo at the end of February – no matter how nice the weather is for the day.

Not able to contain his overzealous excitement any longer, Naruto bounds out of the car the moment they're parked, exclaiming happily the whole way. "Come on, teme." Naruto skips up to the main gate with Sasuke drearily following behind. "Two full passes, please." Sasuke watches as the teller nods and smiles brightly at the blonde, obviously taken by the boys lighthearted nature.

"Alright," the cashier says chirpily, "that will let you explore the main park, the aquarium and the gardens, and one show of your choice." She reaches over the counter and pulls out a pamphlet, handing it to Naruto. "This is a guide of the park. You're here." She points to the opening of the park before flashing a smile up to the boy.

"Awesome, thanks!" Naruto takes the tickets and turns a wide smile to Sasuke, immediately losing interest in the girl once he has what he needs. "Sasuke, we can follow this and see everything together, right?"

"Yeah, dobe." The raven pushes down the pleasure he feels at watching the cashiers face fall as she takes in the scene. It should not entertain him to kill someone else's chances with Naruto. That falls into romantic interest territory. Though, Sasuke has never been one to share – no matter what sort of interests it is he takes. If him and Naruto are going to be doing this friends with benefits concept, he will be the only one in that category for Naruto. Naturally, he will return the favor.

Naruto unfolds the pamphlet, studying the layout while moving his finger in a counter clockwise pattern. "We can go this way, and see the elephants and the African setup and Safari houses, and then the jungle and the gorilla house." The blonde clicks his tongue. "We could then move inwards and see the smaller but way awesome enclosures, before hitting up the aquarium." Naruto smiles up at the raven. "Sound okay?"

"You have five and a half hours. My only suggestion is that you start moving soon." Sasuke rolls his eyes as the blonde straightens up and salutes the raven before moving along the path towards the elephant exhibit.

Two hours later, and Sasuke is as apathetic as when they started. The same can't be said for Naruto.

"They're so awesome!" Sasuke listens to the excited exclamations of the blonde as he's dragged from exhibit to exhibit. His original belief still holds; zoos are pointless. The raven has never cared about seeing all these animals before, and being dragged around for hours mindlessly looking at them isn't changing that.

"Isn't it fun to see them, teme?" Naruto calls out to the boy walking leisurely behind him. Fun? They've seen elephants, giraffes, flamingos, cheetahs, lions, foxes, monkeys, and most currently, lemurs. Fun is not the word Sasuke will be using to describe this experience.

"Can we skip the insect house? So not interested." Naruto shivers in disgust. Apparently, the blonde isn't a fan of bugs. The raven nods in agreement, much to Naruto's joy. "Then let's look at the tiger house before moving to the rhinos!"

How did Sasuke ever become graced with such companionship? It's like a child trapped in a gorgeous, blonde body. It's ridiculous for an eighteen year old boy to be so excited over animals. Thank God Sasuke doesn't own any pets. He never would have gotten anywhere with Naruto – they'd still be sexually frustrated.

Sasuke's thoughts trail back to how they came to be intimate, anyways. Has the raven completely lost his mind over this boy? He's never allowed anyone to be this close to him, on many levels. Even that idiot, Kiba, can tell how Sasuke's been affected by Naruto's presence. And to be foolish enough to not only continue being around him more than necessary, but willingly allowing him in…

This whole thing is just going to spell disaster. Sasuke can _feel_ it every time he looks at the blonde. The unfortunate thing is, the raven has no one to blame but himself. He brought this down on his own by leaving even a glimpse of an opening for Naruto.

"After we see the pandas and penguins, we can go to the aquarium, yeah?" Upon not receiving an answer from Sasuke, the blonde stops and turns around to take in his 'friend'. "Are you okay?" Naruto peers up at the raven, nudging him with his shoulder. "We can go if you're not having any fun."

If he can recall correctly, he told Naruto from the start that he didn't care, like so many other things. The raven resists a scoff and settles for a sigh instead. "We can do whatever, dobe." Sasuke presses a quick kiss to Naruto's surprised mouth, pulling away before he can make a fuss.

"And you say you don't enjoy my company." The blonde throws out a cheeky grin, earning an eye roll from Sasuke. Naruto tips up on the balls of his feet to return the kiss, which the raven begrudgingly accepts.

"From this viewpoint, you both seem to enjoy yourselves." The ravens gaze turns steely at the unwanted, familiar voice. Naruto doesn't seem too pleased either, by the scowl on his face. Their visitor is standing behind Sasuke, but he doesn't need to see him to know who it is.

Naruto speaks up as Sasuke makes no move to turn around. "The hell are you doing, Sai?"

"It is a public zoo, Naru."

The blonde grumbles something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like an insult. "Don't you have art classes or something to do?"

"I'm flattered you know anything about my daily activities."

"Don't be," Naruto bites out.

"I have a free period today, and Midori wanted to see the aquarium."

At the introduction, Naruto's eyes fill with curiosity, while Sasuke's narrow with dread. What are the chances of that being Hayashi Midori, the junior rep for the student council? He's never known Midori to be a gossip, like Sakura and Ino, but it still doesn't please him to have her privy to this situation.

It's not like things could get any worse today; Sasuke turns around to take in the couple behind him. There's Sai standing in all his creepy glory, along with the familiar blonde rep. That disgusting smile is plastered to Sai's face, while Midori has a slight smirk aimed at the raven. He can only imagine the thoughts going through her head.

Naruto's breath hitches momentarily as he excitedly exclaims. "Oh, hey! You're the chick from the other day!"

Sai's smile stays in place, but the sick amusement leaves his eyes. "It's rude to refer to your coworker as chick, Naru." There's a hint of annoyance to his voice, almost indistinguishable from his typical lilt.

"That's okay, I don't think he knows who I am yet." Midori waves them both off, apparently not bothered. She seems more amused by the whole situation than anything else.

The blonde at Sasuke's side turns his attention to the girl, before flitting back to Sai. "Wait, she works with us?"

Midori laughs lightly, casting a bright smile at Naruto. "Started last week. By the way, hello Sasuke."

The raven scowls lightly, not thrilled with the familiarity she greets him with. He doesn't want Naruto to question how their acquainted. "Hello, Midori."

Unfortunately, Sasuke has no such luck. One of the few times the blonde picks up on something, it has to be now. "Wait, you know her?"

"She's on the student council, dobe." The raven answers simply, not wanting to pursue this conversation.

"Oh," Naruto glances at her interestedly, then back to Sasuke. "At our school?"

"Obviously." Sasuke raises an eyebrow at the little idiot, hoping he'll drop it.

Instead, Naruto's attention turns excitedly to Midori. New people seem to please him. "What year are you? I've never noticed you before."

"Junior, and I realized that last week." She raises an eyebrow at the blonde boy, waiting for him to respond.

Realization sparks in Naruto's eyes, before a blush covers his cheeks. "Yeah, sorry about that. I'm not good at knowing people unless they talk to me first."

"That's fine. You seem to be… Preoccupied a lot." Now her attention falls back to Sasuke, though he really wishes it wouldn't. "If you'd like to get to know me better, we could visit the aquarium together."

Naruto perks up at this, and Sasuke knows there's no escaping this now. "Sure, that'd be great! Sasuke is just humoring me, so he'll probably be happy to not have to bother with entertaining me."

Not likely, the raven thinks bitterly. Whether or not he's enjoying this little trip, he'd enjoy it more with just Naruto. For whatever reason, it highly displeases Sasuke to see Naruto mingle with Midori so easily. How can anyone be so friendly and outgoing to hit it off in an instant? The two blondes are walking ahead of the ravens, and excitedly pointing to the animals as they make their way to the aquarium.

Not that he'll admit this out loud – to anyone – but Sasuke would choose Naruto's company over Sai's any day. While Naruto will not shut his mouth to save his life, it's better than the current presence beside him.

Sai walks silently next to Sasuke, but he can feel that smile. God, what is this guy's damage? Normal people aren't inherently creepy. While he is curious from a psychologic standpoint, there's no way he's purposefully involving himself in a conversation about past trauma.

Instead, Sasuke's attention falls back to Naruto. From this perspective, he seems to be highly enjoying himself. He keeps tossing mirthful smiles at Midori, along with joyful laughs and exclamations at various fish. Honestly, what is so fantastic about fish? They swim. That's it. Some of them are attractively colored, but it's hardly worth exclaiming over.

Also, aren't they a little too close? They're almost bumping shoulders as they press their faces to the glass like children, merrily moving from pane to pane. Is it something to do with blondes and not knowing the meaning of personal space?

"Does it bother you to see them close?"

Sasuke's eye twitches in annoyance at the unnecessary question from Sai. "Just stay quiet."

Sai ignores Sasuke's demand, continuing with ease. "You've been glaring daggers into your boyfriend's head for the last ten minutes."

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Do you make a habit of kissing your friends in public?"

Sasuke closes his eyes and fights to keep a handle on his stoic demeanor. "Naruto is special."

"A special friend?"

Sasuke nods tersely, not wanting got give him more words of ammo.

"Isn't special friend another word for secret boyfriend?"

Sasuke grinds his teeth down against each other. "No."

"Or perhaps it's another term for 'in denial." Sai smiles sickly at Sasuke before continuing without waiting for a response. "Judging from what I know of Naru, that sort of relationship won't last for long. He's very outgoing with his emotions, and I feel he would want a stable relationship."

"What's your point?" Sasuke bites out, turning slightly to take Sai in with a harsh glare.

The other raven shrugs his shoulders. "If you enjoy having Naruto around, you might want to show him a bit of attention like Midori is. Acting like it's a hindrance to your life to be in his company will not do you favors."

At this, Sasuke turns his steely glare back to his blonde. "Doesn't it bother you?"

Sai's eyes widen momentarily and he turns to look at Sasuke. "What should bother me?"

Sasuke nods to the blondes fawning over the coral reef display. "Them."

Sai follows the ravens line of sight, but shows no apparent distress. "No reason it should. They're bonding over mutual interest, which makes them excitable."

"They're too close." Sasuke says more to himself than to Sai, though he immediately regrets voicing it at all when that smile comes out to play.

"You're jealous, but there's no need. Midori is with me. Naru is with you."

"Does that matter?"

"If you don't trust Naruto to be just yours, then no. But I know Midori is with me. She can be close to whoever." Sai says this with such ease that Sasuke has to wonder what emotions the strange boy can even feel. Trust or not, how can a person be okay with someone they're involved with getting close to others?

He's not going to demand that Naruto never have contact with people again, but it still leaves him unnerved. The situation and ground rules between them are so unstable and undefined that it leaves Sasuke nervous. How long will Naruto stay around for this? How soon till he doesn't have him anymore? Does it really concern him that it might be a shorter period of time than he originally thought?

The churning anger and annoyance in his stomach makes him fear for the answer to that.

* * *

An hour after the zoo closed and a car ride back to the school to drop a lively blonde off, Sasuke finds himself parked two blocks away from his house, wondering how to go about this. He has to go home tonight, but dealing with Itachi is not high on his list of priorities. His brother has a way of irritating him like no other. He hasn't even seen the man yet, and he's already doing his best to control his anger.

That might have something to do with his lackluster afternoon with a certain set of blondes. Sasuke scoffs and rolls his eyes at the thought before putting his car back into gear and proceeding down the road. Dredging up the unnecessary musings from earlier won't do his mood any good, either.

When he gets to his house and parked, he quietly enters in through the patio door leading to the kitchen, hoping that by some chance of luck, Itachi might be in the study at the back of the house and not anywhere on Sasuke's path.

He manages to slip stealthily through the dining room and halfway up the stairs before his blood runs cold at the familiar nuance calling from the bottom of the stairs. "Ah, Sasuke. Perfect timing. We have dinner reservations at Terra Restaurant in an hour."

This restaurant, much like Embers, is another place that Itachi has ties to. Giving back to the community certainly bolsters ones success more than Sasuke cares to admit. In fact, Itachi probably has ties to half of Konoha and the entirety of Seattle at this point. The elder brother does not skimp when it comes to social graces and makes a point to show his face at numerous locations when he's in town. He did not cultivate a successful business by shunning humanity, much like Sasuke fully intends to do. If anything, observing his brothers behavior compels Sasuke into being a recluse even more.

Choosing to not respond past the pause he gave to listen, the raven continues his trek up the stairs and into the confines of his room. He lets out a harrowed sigh before pulling an outfit from his closet and heading to the bathroom, ready to wash the days irritation off, given he can stop thinking about things long enough. Such an event doesn't seem like it's going to come as his mind continually strays back to that of his brother.

It feels like it's been ages since he last saw Itachi, and perhaps it has been. The holidays they spend together – by Itachi's prodding – can barely be considered bonding time. Even during those periods, Sasuke does his best to avoid any interaction with his brother. There had been a time when he would have been so lost without Itachi to turn to, but that time has come and gone. He learned rather quickly – and all at once – that his brother could not be relied on in times of need, and he stopped. Not only with his brother, he thinks dimly, but with everyone. Why should he bother to put his faith and trust and beliefs in an _outsider_ , when his own family didn't have the decency to be there? His only family left, at that point.

Itachi probably thinks Sasuke hates him, and while the younger raven has no intentions of doing anything that will change that belief, it's quite the opposite. He just loved and looked up to his brother _so much_ , that when he found out that even people you idolize can hurt you, it broke Sasuke's ability to care anymore. The love for Itachi is still there, of course, but Sasuke doesn't have the means to display it anymore. What's the point in doing such a thing, anyways? He's already been taught it gets you nowhere.

Too many things had happened in rapid succession when he was a child for Sasuke to believe in happiness or everlasting love or any other nonsense that idealistic idiots like Naruto believe in. Putting your heart fully into any situation is just a quick and surefire way to get it destroyed. And once you've let yourself be destroyed once, you're not too keen on going back, the raven thinks bitterly.

Sighing in annoyance at what awaits for the rest of the night, Sasuke quickly towels off and dresses for dinner. He has half the mind to go in street clothes, but thinks better of it. Itachi would just send him back upstairs – likely coming with him – to choose something _appropriate_ for a restaurant such as Terra. Mostly, he wants a way to get out of this. These few nights that he has to spend in his brothers company tend to be mental torture. The sheer animosity that Sasuke naturally gives off towards anyone and everyone ten folds around Itachi, whether or not the younger raven intends for it to. It's been ingrained into their dynamic after eight years of silence between them, and no amount of the elder of the two trying to repair the bond seems to have any effect.

He knows it will be a silent dinner. He knows Itachi will try to goad him into a conversation, but end up leading it on his own. Sasuke will sit and listen and nod when it's acceptable, and he'll learn new bits about his brother's life from the last few months that he hasn't seen him. He'll take to heart every detail Itachi lets slip about what he's been up to, because whether or not Sasuke likes to admit it, this man is still a god to him. He's just distant now. No longer a figure within arm's reach, but a shadow on a pedestal far away.

Itachi will not learn anything. He lost that privilege years ago when Sasuke desperately needed him there to confide in, and he was gone off on securing a future for them. As far as Sasuke is concerned, that future did not include him, for his brother was not there in it with him. He became a phantom; a memory of the time when Sasuke did know what it was like to be happy and believe in love and perfect endings.

But, that time is gone, and likely to never come back, if Sasuke has any say in the matter. He will not open himself up to such pain a second time. He will not be the fool that didn't learn the lesson on the first teaching. _Fool me once, shame on you_. There will be no twice for the raven.

With that thought in mind, Sasuke carries himself down the stairs and to his waiting brother, who nods at him with approval before opening the door and ushering him through it. The younger raven makes sure to keep his expression composed into stoic boredom, not allowing an ounce of emotion to come through. This is how it works with them, Sasuke reasons in his head, and there's no reason to change that now. He wonders idly though, on the drive to Terra, if the weakening of his resolve to be apathetic towards Naruto has something to do with how much effort he puts into maintaining the distance between himself and Itachi.

It doesn't matter, in the end. He has already decided that Naruto stays for as long as they are able to deal with their current dynamic. The slightly chilling thought crosses Sasuke's mind though, that he won't be able to keep up appearances with both of them forever.

Eventually, his composure will snap, much like it nearly did today on their date. And he knows without giving it much thought, that he would rather allow Naruto to see him break, than to allow Itachi to see it for a second time.

* * *

 **Author's Note :** Okay. So I finally released the second half of this. I really didn't feel like I had the time to do this, but felt I owed it to you guys to get the completed chapter out. Now, I need to really focus on my studies for the rest of this month (January). I have to have everything complete by early February, so I should be able to pick up again around that time. Knowing me, I will totally procrastinate by continuing to write… But don't count on it! I don't want any hopes to be up for the next month!

With that said, I hope everyone has a happy New Year and a great start of 2017!


	14. Propinquity

**Author's Note :** It's been awhile! Thank you for all those of your who come back to read again J

First off, this is only half a chapter. I was considering withholding it until I completely finished it, but figured ya'll have waited long enough. I'll try to release the second part next week!

Secondly, there is a lot of conversations in this chapter. Lots of dialogue. It's not entirely filler, but more like establishing/necessary banter.

I won't bother you with a longer author note this time around! Just enjoy!

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 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse. **  
**

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

* * *

 **Chapter 14 : Propinquity**

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If one were to ask Uzumaki Naruto what his favorite thing about a certain raven is, they would be sorely disappointed at the lacking answer. Most would expect some sort of generic response of "he's hot", or "he's so cool", like any member of Sasuke's fan group would do. But the response Midori received to this question at the zoo seemed to surprise and please her in some strange way.

Naruto, being drawn away from the gorgeous tropical fish being displayed by such a weird question, simply answered "it's not any one thing. He's just really fun to hang out with." Fun does not seem to be the operative word Midori would describe Sasuke with, but she lets the conversation go with a slight smile and a nod towards a brightly spotted triggerfish, leading the blonde's attention back to their shared amusement.

Why exactly this memory decides to sneak up on Naruto during homeroom, the blonde may never know. Perhaps it's because the raven himself is missing this short period; a student council meeting is being held this morning with Iruka, the guidance counselor and supervisor of the student council, in attendance. The reason for this is because everything has to be checked over and made certain events are going according to plan. Naruto only knows this because Sasuke finally broke down and told him after an hour of pestering at the library last night.

Not that it helped make the blonde shut up for any length of time. A trait that Naruto is becoming hard pressed to believe Sasuke truly dislikes. He used to get yelled at for running his mouth so much where the raven is concerned, but lately it seems as if Sasuke actually enjoys Naruto's musings.

Then again, that could just be a whole lot of wishful thinking on the blonde's part. Whatever it is, a sudden, sharp thought enters Naruto's mind. _What is Sasuke's favorite thing about me?_

Right off, he wants to answer with the most obvious thing: sex. It is what started all this nonsense in the first place, anyways. And it seems to be about the best way to chill the raven out and stop any sort of harsh conversations. But a part of Naruto – the part that wants to think of nothing but good concepts and reasoning – insists that it has to be something more.

There has to be a reason Sasuke lets him hang out with him, without anything turning Rated R. The day they went to the zoo together had been mostly platonic – not that there was really any time for anything to happen. Halfway through the visit they got interrupted by Sai and Midori, and then Naruto found a gawking partner in the new acquaintance.

Still. He wants a solid understanding for why Sasuke is willing to be around him so often. Does he also find his company to be fun? Despite all the times he makes it seem like its torture to be in Naruto's presence.

If anything, the blonde just gets more confused the longer he's around the raven. They seem to have fallen into some sort of happy medium – or maybe it's better to say, both boys are just ignoring the complicated aspects of their relationship. Whatever it is, it doesn't stop that pestering little whisper in the back of Naruto's mind, assuring him that the raven is going to slip away at any moment. _He's already done it once, hasn't he? Who's to say he won't be gone again by tomorrow?_

The blonde contributes a lot of his behavior to that little voice that prompts him to rush into situations. Situations in which he says things that might be best left unsaid. Like the one he rushes headlong into after 3rd period, where Sasuke more or less ignored Naruto's presence the entire time.

"Let's go on a date after school." The moment the words leave the blondes mouth, he regrets them. He can see the aggravation flash through Sasuke's eyes upon the word "date", and everything up to this point seems like it might crumble again.

"No, dobe." The stern voice and slightly infuriated scowl gracing the raven's face annoy the blonde, adding to his troublesome nature instead of soothing him. Being told no is not what he wants to hear, no matter how much he knows he's irritating Sasuke.

"But we never do anything together," Naruto pouts, not wanting to admit that he's ready to back down from this already. He sighs dramatically and shuffles his feet, though his antics are put on hold due to the agitated raven stopping right in front of him.

"Naruto, you stayed the night Sunday and Monday. We went to the zoo together on Wednesday. We spent an hour in the library together as well as you showing up at my place for dinner yesterday, and now you want a date tonight." Sasuke glares daggers into the blonde. "I have spent more time with you in one week, than I have in the last year with everyone in my life put together."

"Well, that's easy to do when I'm pretty much the only one in your life." Naruto shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly, but Sasuke's glare doesn't lessen. The frustration building in the raven's eyes does not go unnoticed by Naruto. The blonde sighs in defeat and offers a small smile. "Alright teme, chill out. I'll hang out with the guys tonight or something."

The last thing Naruto wants to deal with is Sasuke pulling back again. Honestly, the boy is just like a snake. The tiniest amount of stress and unfamiliarity makes him throw up everything and shut down till it's safe again.

Sasuke gives a curt nod before turning back to his locker, leaving Naruto unsure on what to do. Maybe he should be the one to pull back for a while. Would that let Sasuke calm down for a bit? Naruto toys with the thought for a moment, deciding it to be the best thing to do.

"I'll see you later, okay?" The blonde begins to walk away, but before he can even get a couple steps, a warm hand catches his own and holds him in place. Startled, Naruto turns searching eyes towards the raven.

"We can get lunch together today, be ready by my car." Sasuke gives the blondes hand a light squeeze before sliding his palm away, but the damage is done. A bright, honest smile graces Naruto's face and before he can stop to think about it, he launches himself into the raven's chest, locking him in for a tight hug.

"Definitely, teme. I'll be there."

* * *

Naruto lets Sasuke choose the restaurant, offering no resistance to the choice the raven gives. He's just happy to even be here. The shock of the raven giving in so easily earlier hasn't worn off, and the blonde is still basking in the glow of getting to spend lunch with the stoic boy.

The best thing about having a nearly hour long lunch is the options that open up – though Naruto and Kiba generally keep within a fairly close range to the school on their outings. Sasuke seems to have no such qualms, and drives a decent distance from the campus to a restaurant that's unknown to Naruto, but nonetheless pleasing.

"It's a typical diner," Sasuke answers at Naruto's inquisitive, searching eyes. "Just American food."

"You come here often?"

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders. "When I don't feel like cooking dinner or staying at the school." Both boys take a seat opposite each other at a booth and the waitress promptly comes over, wasting no time to get their drinks and take their order. It's apparently she's used to serving people on a lunch rush.

"Did the meeting go okay?" Naruto asks, more out of courtesy than actual interest. Sasuke didn't achieve the position of president for nothing; the least the blonde can do is ask about it.

"It was fine. Iruka just went through procedure to make sure everything is being handled properly." Sasuke scoffs lightly. "The prom is the only issue."

"What's wrong?"

The raven rolls his eyes. "Sakura and Ino are in charge of it. Need I say more?"

Naruto snickers. "I see your point." The blonde shrugs his shoulders. "I can talk to Ino, if you'd like."

Sasuke's eyes narrow imperceptibly at that statement. "Are you and Ino on good terms again?"

Naruto nods happily. "Yeah, we came to an understanding. She won't be giving us any hassle from now on."

"The season is starting again," Sasuke murmurs offhandedly, startling Naruto a bit at the rapid change of topic. "Looking forward to it?"

"Yeah, we're holding tryouts this afternoon. Kiba's more excited about it than I am." Naruto shrugs his shoulders again. "I guess with all the stuff going on lately, soccer doesn't seem high on my priority list."

The raven's nods in agreement, but doesn't push the conversation. Tilting his head to watch the boy across from him, Naruto wonders why he would bring that up. They've only spoken about their chosen sports a couple times, and never in depth.

"What about you? Baseball season is at the same time, for whatever reason." At this moment, the waitress brings their food out and sets it down, asking quickly if anything else is needed, and walking away to serve the next table upon receiving a negative.

Sasuke waits for her to leave before answering. "It's something to do, and it looks good on university applications."

Naruto snorts in appreciation at Sasuke's reasoning. Leave it to him to do something just for the credit. "We'll be stretched pretty thin with available time to meet up once everything starts," the blonde mumbles out in evident disappoint. "We practice every day, plus we're aiming for State Championships. We were so close last year."

Sasuke nods. "Games are Tuesdays and Thursdays, right?"

"Yeah," the blonde agrees amiably. "Unless we keep winning. Then there'll probably be a lot of Saturdays as well. What about you? Aren't baseball games on Mondays and Wednesdays?"

The raven tilts his head in affirmative. "And Fridays, assuming we progress well."

Naruto sighs as the weight of their conflicting schedules fully settles over him. "How are we gonna fit the project into this?"

"It'll be fine, dobe. Home games take about two hours to complete entirely, and then you're free. Away games take the evening and we'll plan around that. That's all we need to worry about for now."

"Yeah, but they're usually at six, and –"

"Dobe," Sasuke says firmly. "It will be _fine_." The decisive tone implies that the topic is closed for discussion, and Naruto doesn't feel like pushing it. It's not something he wants to think about right now, anyways.

Sighing in defeat – for the second time that day – Naruto rolls his eyes and plays off his discontent. "You're just looking forward to being rid of me."

The raven shrugs his shoulders, but a small smirk plays on his lips. "Maybe I am."

Sneering good-naturedly for just a moment, Naruto becomes serious once more. "When are we doing the second assignment this week?"

"Are you busy tomorrow?"

Naruto shakes his head yes, looking a bit apprehensive. "Work till 8, then I'm free."

"Then I'll be at Java's at 8."

"Alright," Naruto smiles widely. "Sounds good."

They pass the remainder of their meal in relative silence, and barely make it back to campus in time. Naruto slides into his Japanese class right as the bell rings, earning a disapproving glare from Noriko-sensei, but no tardy. Kiba snorts and shakes his mangy head in amusement as the blonde nears. An instantaneous blush covers Naruto's cheeks. That smirk plastered to the mutt's face is all-telling.

"Lover boy worth getting detention over?" Kiba snickers out in a low tone. Naruto shoots him a heated glare in response, not willing to chance his luck with backtalking so soon. Noriko-sensei is still watching him. That woman is like a hawk.

"Who says I went anywhere with Sasuke?" Naruto says in a harsh whisper once Noriko's back is turned.

Kiba scoffs. "Please. Who else would you go out with?" The shaggy brunette rolls his eyes. "Shikamaru and Choji say you leave with him. Choji told me about it when I asked where you were right before class."

To his credit, Naruto manages to keep his blush under control. While he meant it when he said he was fine with being public with Sasuke, he was primarily thinking about the raven's fangirls. Not the blonde's own friends. Their possible reactions to this strange situation makes Naruto's palms sweat and his stomach coil. _This could go badly_ , he thinks nervously.

"Did they seem… Weird about it?" Naruto asks cautiously, but he's not fooling Kiba.

"Man, they're not going to care. Choji is cool with all things as long as he has food, and Shikamaru doesn't give two fucks about anything so long as you don't involve him in any drama."

"I guess that's –"

"Uzumaki, do you have something to share with the class?" Noriko-sensei's clipped voice cuts through the private conversation, jolting Naruto to look forward stiffly.

"No, ma'am."

"Well, in that case, come up here and write the following sentence in Nihongo."

Groaning as if in abject agony, Naruto makes his way to the board. What a great way to start the afternoon.

* * *

Twelve unhappy boys stand on a frozen field, along with one gruff old man. Oddly, that man is the only one who seems pleased to be here. "Line up over here with your forms." The soccer coach hollers out at the new kids waiting for instructions. "We'll get your names and then do some practices and see where you're at." The boys shuffle over eagerly, wanting to get starts – and accepted – as soon as possible.

Due to last year's graduation, the soccer team has lost three of their eleven main players. Out of the ten boys that showed up, it would be slim pickings, Naruto notes glumly as he surveys the turnout. The blonde hopes that half of them at least play decent. Please Dear God, not like last years' tryouts. The blonde cringes at the thought. It had been a train wreck, resulting in new tryouts being held the following week.

"Alright. First off," the coach points towards the two boys standing behind him, "this is Naruto and Kiba. The captain and co-captain. It's them you're gonna wanna impress." The coach winks at the two, knowing he just sicced the rabid attention of ten boys on them. "Second, we only need three players. We already got substitutes. We need good, strong, and capable young men."

Naruto scoffs and shakes his head. "Are they signing up for soccer or war?"

Kiba chuckles. "With coach, it might as well be war. That old drill sergeant is intense. Thankfully for at least two of those guys, they came to our practices the last couple weeks. Should be able to make the cut."

"God, I hope so," Naruto mutters. "I want this to go smoothly."

"Why? You gotta 'nother hot date with Uchiha?" Kiba grins mischievously, laughing at the indignant frown on the blonde's face.

"No," he growls out a bit too loud. "I'm not doing anything after tryouts. Was gonna ask you to hang out."

"Nah, man, I can't." Kiba says far too happily. "I do have a date." The mutt states this with such an exclamation of pride, Naruto can't help but be happy for him.

"Alright, have fun with your chick." Naruto shakes his head in mock sorrow. "I'll probably drop by the café and see if AJ needs any extra hands."

"You need a life in the worst way." Kiba says with no small amount of disgust. "What 18-year-old boy willingly asks for hours on a Friday night?"

"You got any better plans for me?" Naruto shoots back hotly. "If so, let's hear'em."

Before Kiba can open his mouth to reply, a loud whistle blows. Naruto winces at the shrill hum that fills his ears, and drags his attention to the coach, much like everyone else.

"Let's begin. You five will go with Naruto, and you give with Kiba." Coach dismissively motions to each group of boys, sending them off towards either leader. "They will run you through the necessary steps, and critique your performance." Coach surveys the groups warily. "I'll be surveying overall. It's important to impress your teammates, but I got the final say. Remember that."

On that heartwarming note, coach turns the now likely terrified boys over to their respective tryouts leader, moving towards the edge of the field where he can see everything.

"Okay, you guys. This is gonna be pretty basic. We're gonna see how you respond to following directions, your basic skills, and taking initiative. We'll be doing group exercises as well as one-on-one so I can judge where you're at."

The group murmurs their understanding. Not wasting any time, Naruto launches into the group performance assessment. Not too long into the tryout, the blonde captain pinpoints two boys who lack competitive skills. Being too shy with the ball, they easily allow it to be stolen and hesitate to go for it. While they have the footwork and skills necessary for the game, they don't have the mindset.

Naruto looks over his shoulder at coach, wondering if he notes the same flaws. Catching his eye for just a moment, Naruto is reassured when the stern man gives him a nod.

After coach blows the whistle to signal the end of group dynamics, they lead into the one-on-one exercises. Each boy takes their turn in performing an exercise with Naruto, who evaluates their ability as they go.

By the end of the tryouts, Naruto has chosen two boys he believes fit to take positions. A freshman named Konohamaru and a junior that Naruto knows by face only, Kyou. Coach dismisses the group upon completion and congratulations for coming, and then turns to order Naruto and Kiba to shower and fill out their player forms and have them turned into the office immediately.

The blonde stretches his arms high above his head as he walks from the locker room and into the empty gymnasium. Taking a seat near Kiba on the bleachers, he's promptly handed his set of forms to fill out. As the boys have already been dismissed, Naruto speaks freely.

"Did you have anyone good in your group?"

"Yeah," the mutt says without looking up, "there were two guys who seemed a nice fit."

Naruto lets out a happy sigh. "Awesome. We got four solid candidates then. It'll be up to coach to choose who."

Kiba snorts bemusedly. "Assuming he liked any of them."

"God, I hope so. Just doing one set of tryouts is stressful."

"Eh, I find them relaxing. I get to judge other player's abilities and choose on the spot whether or not they'll work out." The mutt shakes his shaggy head. "It's practices and games that are stressful. You're stuck with your idiots at that point."

"You're a strange guy, Kiba."

"Not as strange as someone who falls for a guy with an icicle shoved up his ass."

Naruto laughs boisterously despite himself. "He's not so bad, honest. He just doesn't take much shit from people."

"He seems to take plenty from you. Seriously, man. I think you have him wrapped around your finger."

The blushing blonde rolls his eyes. "You've apparently never seen Sasuke around me."

"The fact that Sasuke will even go around you is testament to my point."

"Eh," Naruto rubs the back of his neck uncertainly, "I don't see it."

"'Cause you're an idiot."

"Thanks, man. Appreciate it."

Kiba grins widely. "No problem." The brunette groans and stretches as he stands up. "You done?"

"Yeah, should be good." The boys turn the forms into coach's office before happily leaving the building to start their nights. It's already late – seven in the evening – but the sun has just begun to set low on the horizon, casting the sky into a shimmer of golds, pinks, and purples.

 _It's a good night to do something_ , Naruto thinks idly. Unfortunately, the blonde doesn't have any plans that could take advantage of a Friday night, but the mutt somehow does. Turning to the boy as he's about to get into his jeep, he quickly tosses out "have fun on your date. It's a good night for one." He repeats the thought that's still resounding in his mind, earning a smile from Kiba. Naruto is once again struck by how pleased Kiba seems when the topic is broached. He really is head over heels for Hinata.

 _Do I get the same look when Sasuke is brought up?_ An image of himself fawning all over Sasuke makes him snort in mixed horror and humor. If he does, it's amazing he hasn't been mowed down by rabid fangirls this far.

On that trail of thought, Naruto wonders why he hasn't been cornered yet. He's been seen with His Excellency – full sarcasm intended – more than once in public. Between the several lunch dates, and all the meetings at Java's, it's no secret that the two have been getting close.

"Oh well," he mumbles offhandedly to himself as he parks outside of the café. He's not going to make it a problem if it's not already. There's enough to deal with as it is.

Naruto exhales deeply as he nears the café doors, breathing in the familiar and comforting scent of coffee and sweets. "Hey, Midori." The boy greets the only visible barista in the shop as he pulls open the door. "Working alone on a Friday?"

Not missing a beat at the sudden arrival and conversation, Midori lifts her head with a smile and replies casually. "Hotaru was here, but it's so dead that I told her to take off if AJ was cool with it. She said something about Utakata wanting to go on a date, anyway."

Naruto comes up to the counter and leans on his elbows as he continues the conversation. "Does Sai not do dates or something?" The boy wrinkles his nose; it must be a tall, dark, and obnoxious thing.

"He has a studio class till 9pm tonight, though he usually stays over." She smiles and crosses her arms. "What about you? Why aren't you out with Sasuke?"

"Ah," Naruto chuckles sheepishly, "we aren't dating or anything."

Midori raises an eyebrow. "Not how it looked to me."

The blonde shrugs his shoulders. "We're just friends."

"Friends who have a habit of shoving their tongues down each other's throats in public?"

"Basically."

Midori laughs and shakes her head. "I'll tell you now, Naruto, relationships like that only lead to trouble, no matter how much fun they seem at the start."

"Oh well," Naruto counters with ease. "Not like I've never been there before."

"Naruto?" Two blonde heads turn to look for the questioning voice. The boy in question smiles at the host of the voice. AJ is standing in the doorway of her office, giving the pair a thoughtful glance.

"Hey, AJ. I thought I asked you not to hire anymore weird people." Naruto winks mischievously at Midori, who laughs in good humor. AJ watches this with no small amount of surprise.

"I was a bit concerned that you wouldn't get along with her, either."

"Well, I can't vouch for her taste in men, but she seems okay."

"As if yours is any better."

AJ watches their easy banter for a few more moments before mumbling "this will make scheduling a lot easier," and going back into her office to leave them be.

Midori shakes her head, casting off the last of her laughter at Naruto's humorous jabs towards Sai. "What brings you out here, anyways? Don't you have better things to do than hang out at a coffee house?"

Naruto sighs with exaggerated sorrow. "Came to see if AJ needed any help, but apparently not."

"Well, I'm off in… Twenty minutes. Wanna go by the mall with me?"

Naruto's eyes light up at the prospect o having actual plans for the night. It's no secret that his time is rarely spent lounging about as he pleases. "Sure, that's fine with me!"

Midori smiles warmly. "Great. I have some shopping to do and could use a male opinion."

"What for?"

"Sai's birthday is coming up."

"I won't be much help there. I don't really know what sort of things sociopaths are into."

"I'm sure Sasuke could tell us."

Naruto chuckles at that, shaking his head. "Sasuke has plenty of emotion, I promise. He just reserves the majority of it to turn into spite."

"How attractive," Midori reply sarcastically.

"You ladies seem to think so."

"Do not lump me with my braindead brethren, please. Not all girls are in the Sasuke fan club."

"That's news to me. I thought it was mandatory of all Kasai girls."

The blonde girl scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Hardly. Girls are just too easily taken in by that attitude."

Naruto smiles softly. "It's not his attitude or personality that chicks are into him for. None of them have been around him long enough to learn that part of him. They like his looks."

"And you don't?"

The boy snorts loudly. "Are you kidding me? The guy is hot as fuck. I can admit that."

Laughing loudly, Midori shakes her head. "Go say that to Sakura, I dare you."

Naruto cringes. Half in mock horror, and half honest terror. "I'm quite partial to my balls remaining intact, thanks."

"Just do it while Sasuke is around." The girl winks. "He won't let any harm come to you."

"Yeah, right." Naruto mutters, not having half as much faith in that as Midori does.

Midori starts her end of the night cleaning, wiping things down as she speaks. "Seriously, Sasuke doesn't deal with Sakura's attitude in the least. He's always putting her in her place during council meetings."

Naruto's eyes light up at this news. It had completely slipped his mind that Midori is on the council with Sasuke. That's one of the many areas of the raven's life that Naruto is not privy to.

"How did the meeting go today? Iruka was present this time, right?" Naruto reiterates the slim amount of info he does know about it, hoping to incite Midori into speaking about it.

"Yeah," she nods, "he had to make sure everything is going well and that were not blowing through the treasury." Midori rolls her eyes. "Except, guess what. The prom budget is $1,000 over their allotted amount."

Naruto raises an incredulous eyebrow. "Seriously? Didn't they take that into consideration?"

Midori shrugs her shoulders as she arranges the trays to clean around them. "Apparently not. They're planning on using the cultural festival turnout to cover it, but Iruka isn't too pleased with that idea. He says the money shouldn't just be blown on the prom."

"Wow," Naruto mutters. "I bet Sasuke was real happy with them."

"Oh, he was," the girl laughs viciously. "He threatened to pull Sakura off the committee and replace her if she doesn't get her shit together."

That sounds about like Sasuke. He certainly doesn't like any hiccups in his plans. Naruto learned that already.

"Does stuff like that happen often?"

"Where Sakura's concerned, sure. I don't really get what she's thinking half the time. She's usually really responsible and smart about things. She knows how things are supposed to go. But this whole prom thing has made her crazy all year." Midori shakes her head and returns to wiping the counters down. "She's been bothering Sasuke a lot more frequently too."

"Yeah, I know that one. He's gotten pretty fed up with it, I think."

"Oh, he has," Midori states knowingly. "You can tell by the glares he shoots her that he's just daring her to press him any further."

If Naruto wasn't into Sasuke himself, he'd almost feel bad hearing this. But, as it stands, it pleases him to know that Sasuke is having no part of the pinkette's vapid flirting.

"Well," Midori interrupts the boy's jealous thoughts, "I think I'm done here. Just give me a moment to talk to AJ and we should be good to go."

"Sure." Naruto stands up and waits for her to come back from AJ's office. Stepping back into the cool night air causes a shiver to run down the boy's spine. He pulls his jacket tighter around himself and looks over to Midori. "You wanna take my jeep down to the mall, or your car?"

The blonde shakes her head. "I live really close, so I just walk. You're jeeps fine."

"Right this way, then." Naruto smiles at his new acquaintance, and vaguely ponders how things worked out like this. Instead of getting his date with Sasuke, he's escorting a strange chick to the mall.

Life works in mysterious ways, he supposes. It doesn't take a genius to see that Midori is different from the typical girls that he has to deal with from Kasai. As much as Naruto gets along with Ino, even she can be a Sasuke fangirl and horribly short-sighted when it comes to things. Having Midori to talk to is a breath of fresh air. Not only that, but she knows things about certain parts of Sasuke's life that Naruto will never be able to get into himself.

To say the least, the boy will savor his friendship with this girl, if only for the new insights she can offer. It never hurts to have a new perspective on a shared acquaintance – and Midori definitely has a different view of the raven than is normal.

"We're going to Konoha Mall, right? The main one?" Naruto asks before making any decisions on which direction to go.

Midori nods her head in agreement. "The very one."

Naruto smiles and nods, putting the jeep into gear and easing out of the lot and into the street. Similar to Sasuke, Midori sits quietly in the passenger seat as they cruise towards their destination. Naruto would be happier if it was the raven with him, but beggars can't be choosers. If Sasuke wants his space, then the blonde will just have to work with it.

The jerk is right; they're not in a relationship or anything. There's no reason for them to be going on dates together. For Naruto to even be asking is already pushing the limits. It can't be helped though, the blonde thinks irately. Is it really such a problem to spend time together? Even friends do that! See the blonde chick in the passenger seat, for example. No, the problem here is simply one Uchiha brat who doesn't know how to be sociable.

And maybe Naruto is a bit to blame too for being so into the introverted jerk. Poor taste in guys, apparently. The blonde sighs dismally. Relationships suck, and Naruto doesn't even have one!

"What's up with you?" Naruto glances over to Midori who's curiously looking at him. "You seem bothered."

Naruto cracks a grin at her, letting the irritation fall off. "Not really. Just thinking about things. It's no big deal."

"I didn't mean to bother you with what I said about Sasuke."

The boy's eyes blink owlishly, trying to discern what she means. "What?"

"About your relationship being- "

"There is no relationship."

Midori sighs. "Yeah, so you say. But apparently, you feel something that relates to being in a relationship or you wouldn't be so hung up on him."

"It's not that big of a deal, you know. We're just doing whatever."

"Oh, right." The blonde nods her head in mock knowing. "That's sure to work out."

Naruto huffs and clicks his fingers against the steering wheel. "It's not really something either of us wants."

"Usually people aren't hung up on things they don't want."

"What is your goal here?"

Midori smiles candidly at the boy. "To help you work through your thoughts."

"I think you just give me more thoughts to deal with." Naruto turns his attention back to the road and turns into the mall's main parking lot. "Any certain place you wanna hit up first?"

"You can just go to the main entrance. We'll find our way around." Following her orders, Naruto parks the jeep and gets out. Staring up at the massive shopping mall, all of Naruto's worries melt away. If there's one thing the boy loves, it's window shopping. Seeing new things – even if he'll never own them – is a definite pick-me-up.

Naruto hums happily, glancing curiously into each storefront that they pass. Nothing particularly catches his eye, but it's fun to see everything nonetheless. That nifty robot in the electronics store, the display of brand new phone models. The fancy suits and dresses the mannequins are modeling off at that expensive clothing store, or the just-released movies at the entertainment store. All these things spike the boy's attention and joy.

Midori on the other hand, is on a war path. She must have some idea in mind about Sai's gift, because she's not window shopping. Her brisk walk is carrying her too fast to be taking anything in, and she maneuvers through the crowd with obvious intent.

"Do they have a Sociopaths-R-Us store around here?" Naruto teases, hardly perturbed by the exasperated frown he receives.

"There's a really good art store here. Sai is always going in and just looking at their products." Midori tosses over her shoulder, still making haste towards whatever store has her attention. Naruto, not being nearly as interested in Sai's present, continues his leisurely stroll several paces behind. If this was Sasuke's birthday, that would be a different story. Though, Naruto would be more lost in what to get the frigid raven than he is for the stone one.

At the thought of Sasuke, Naruto's upbeat attitude quickly becomes sullen once more. If there is one person the boy just can't figure out, it's _him_. Does he want to be messing around or not? Are they friends or enemies? No matter how much the blonde runs over the same ground in his head, he can't decide. Hell, Naruto doubts the raven even knows.

There is one thing Naruto is certain of, without Midori having to tell him. If they continue to play this game, the loser will leave with a broken heart. Naruto just doesn't know which of them that will be.

"You're down again." The boy's attention is snapped back to Midori. She must not gain any reassurance from his expression, as her eyes grown concerned and she takes a step forward. "You're a compulsive worrier, aren't you?"

Naruto chuckles and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry if I zoned out and missed anything."

The blonde girl hardly seems consoled, but has the good grace to not push this time. "Well, this is the shop." In large, looping scrawl is written _The Silver Dollar_ above the storefront. Framed drawings sit in the display windows, and rows of art supplies line the aisles of the store.

"This place caters towards local artists," Midori proudly boasts. "All those pictures on display are done by indie artists around here. The owner has this agreement with some students at Sai's school that he'll display their stuff with only a 10% commission fee."

"That's pretty cool." Naruto muses while eyeing the paintings. "Any of these Sai's?"

Midori shakes her head in the negative. "Sai doesn't like to sell his work. He'll do stuff by specific commission, but the work he does personally doesn't have a price tag."

"How does he make a living?"

The girl arches an eyebrow at him. "He does work at the café."

Naruto rolls his eyes. "That brings in the money."

Midori chuckles softly and shakes her head. "Come on. I have shopping to do." She leads the boy into the store, aiming for a specific section.

Naruto, on the other hand, is completely taken in by the sheer amount of supplies. "What do you even do with half this stuff?"

The blonde girl hums while rifling through a display of paint colors. "Most things are specific to whatever medium you're working with."

Naruto's lack of artistic knowledge plays along the perplexed raise of his eyebrows. "Medium?"

"Yeah, like painting or shading or charcoal or coloring in pictures."

"You can use charcoal to draw with?" Curiosity renewed, Naruto begins searching the store with his eyes.

"If you really want to get creative, you can technically draw with anything that stains. I'm sure there has been at least one artist to do a painting in nothing but blood."

"That's terrifying." Naruto rebukes in mild shock. "And also, kind of cool."

Midori nods knowingly. "Well, I have what I need. Wanna hit the food court next?"

As if on cue, Naruto's stomach rumbles audibly. He groans and places a hand on the grumbly beast. "That sounds great."

The cashier quickly rings up Midori's supplies and then the pair is on their way. Naruto's mouth is practically salivating at the idea of Chinese food. God, there is never a time he would pass that up.

Like a shadow, Midori follows the boy to the line for Magic Wok. "You're a fan too, huh?"

"Damn right. I can't be friends with people who don't like Chinese food. It's not natural."

Naruto laughs brightly. "I hear that." All Asian food is fine by the boy, but Americanized Chinese food is by far the best. In typical mall fashion, they quickly receive their meals and are on their way to find a table. With it being a Friday night, the food court is packed with people catching dinner between shops.

"You know, you don't talk nearly as much as I expected you to." Naruto pauses from shoveling noodles into his mouth to shrug his shoulders.

"Guess I never really think about it. If I have something to say, I say it." The boy tilts his head to the side curiously. "It's funny you'd say that though, because Sasuke is always telling me I talk too much."

"Well," Midori gives that sardonic half smile, "maybe it just depends on the person."

"You think?"

"Yeah. I don't mind a bit of talking, but Sasuke is the type who likes his quiet."

"I don't know," Naruto muses thoughtfully. "I don't think he minds so much hearing conversations around him. He would just rather not be dragged into one."

"When did you guys get together?"

The boy huffs and gives Midori an annoyed frown. "We've been hanging out since the beginning of the semester."

"So, just a couple months then." The blonde nods her head as if in thought. "And let me guess, you always saw yourself as straight before Sasuke came around?"

"Never had a reason to consider otherwise." Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "I'm still pretty sure I'm only gay for that asshole. He's the only one who does it for me."

Midori points a forkful of rice at Naruto. "You're taste in men is severely lacking."

Naruto laughs and begins to reply, but his retort is cut off by a familiar voice saying his name. "Well, hey Kiba!" The blonde smiles at the mutt off to his side before moving his attention to the pretty girl standing with him. "Hey, Hinata. He's treating you good, yeah?"

The raven-haired girl blushes and nods her head. Naruto is pleased to see her trying to keep a blush at bay. If Hinata is half as into Kiba as he is for her, they'll be on a good ground. The mutt definitely deserves it after all the waiting and pining he did.

"What are you doing here?" The blonde boy watches Kiba suspiciously eye Midori, who for her part, is politely sitting and taking the scene in. Slight annoyance bubbles up in Naruto's chest at the look his new friend is receiving. As far as Naruto is aware, she hasn't done anything to deserve it.

"This is Midori. She just started working at the café and is taking all my hours." Naruto winks at her. "As punishment, she had to come to the mall with me."

"As far as punishments go, this one has been fairly light." Midori counters with a soft smile. "He's not half as troublesome as I pegged him to be."

"For you, maybe." Naruto hears Kiba mutter under his breath. Sending a perturbed glare at the mutt, the blonde silently questions what that's supposed to mean.

"Well, it was nice meeting you." Kiba nods at Midori, "but we have a movie to see. Naruto," the mutt slides his gaze towards the boy, "I'll talk to you later."

"The hell," Naruto begins with no small amount of irritation, "is his problem?"

Midori waves a casual hand, brushing off the incident. "To the casual observer, it probably looks like we're on a date. I'm assuming your friend knows the deal between you and Sasuke?"

"Well, yeah. He's my biggest support.".

"Well," Midori throws back, "your biggest support is probably pissed to see you with a chick."

Realization dawns on Naruto's face. "Shit. You don't think he's mad over that, do you?"

The girl chuckles softly and shrugs her shoulders. "Don't know, but I think you'll find out later." Midori stands up and grabs her empty tray. "For now, let's just worry about getting home."

With not many other options, Naruto follows suit, worrying that "later" might bring.

* * *

Much to Naruto's joy, Kiba's annoyance simmered down when the full situation was nicely laid out to him. One less problem to contend with. He tells Midori as much later that night at work, when everything has died down.

"You might not want to tell Sasuke, though." Midori continues to wipe down the counter Naruto just finished making a flour mess on, working with an efficiency Naruto will never have.

"Why not?" Naruto quizzically tilts his head, not seeing the problem.

"You're just so clueless." The blonde shakes her head in mock shame. "Sasuke strikes me as the jealous type. It would probably piss him off that we hung out."

Naruto pauses in scrubbing the chocolate-caked bowl he used earlier. "I'm failing to see the point. Isn't he always?"

Midori laughs and pauses in wiping down the counter. "At you maybe, but I'd like to stay on decent terms. Council meetings are tense enough."

"I won't bring it up unless he asks, okay? But I'm not gonna lie to him about who I hang out with."

"Hey," the blonde girl shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly, "it's your boyfriend. You do what you want."

Naruto rolls his eyes straight to the ceiling. This girl is doing her best to push all his buttons. "Seriously, Mi-chan, he's not my boyfriend."

"Sorry, Naru, but you certainly act like it." Midori clicks her tongue, sending a sarcastic smile the boys way.

Naruto scoffs and continues rinsing dishes. "You're just too presumptuous."

"Big word. You sure you know what it means?"

Naruto grins at the cheeky girl, pleased with the easy banter. It's not every day you find someone you an easily joke around with and tease.

"It's going on 8. Don't you have a date tonight?"

"An assignment." Naruto corrects hotly. "Are you sure you don't want any more help?"

"No," Midori scans the rest of the kitchen and the oven in use. "I think it's all good. Go see your man."

Naruto huffs and throws his dish towel down. "I swear woman, you're determined to piss me off."

"No, just determined to make you realize you might as well be in a relationship with him."

"Have fun with that."

"Oh, I will."

The boy shakes his head and grins, heading for the door leading to the main area. He stops into AJ's office for a moment to grab his schoolbag before padding over to the usual booth.

Naruto's face breaks out into a grin as his eyes fall on the raven taking up a seat. The blonde slides into the booth exuberantly, sighing with a smile on his lips. "Made it in time."

Rolling his eyes at the typical behavior of the blonde, Sasuke taps his pen lightly against his notebook. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Naruto grins good naturedly, hardly bothered by the stern attitude tossed at him. He pulls his own notebook from his bag on the floor and drops it onto the table. "Just make this as painless as possible."

Sasuke doesn't even bother to lift his head from writing the date at the top of his paper. "I can't help your idiocy, dobe."

Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "You could just do all the work and give me the answers."

This does get Sasuke's agitated attention, drawing a sharp glare from under dark lashes. "Considering this is based on both our responses, I doubt that will work."

"You're just not trying hard enough."

Sasuke scowls at the stubborn blonde. To his credit, Naruto's sunny smile doesn't falter in the least. "Question one, dobe. What is the social learning theory and its relation to behavior?"

Naruto lets out a low whistle and shakes his head. "See, I told you. I need the answers."

"Social learning theory," Sasuke bites out sternly, "is the idea that people learn by observing the environment around them. It can be attitude, beliefs, or anything else that comes from culture. Now." Sasuke glares at Naruto and stops writing. "How does that affect behavior?"

The blonde rolls his eyes but refrains from being cheeky. "It affects it because we learn all our behaviors based on what we see around us. So, it's like learning something in class. You watch the teacher do a problem on the board and then you copy the behavior."

The raven nods in agreement, scrawling his pen along his notebook in concentration. "What is the social exchange theory and its relation to behavior?" Sasuke holds up a pale palm. "Social exchange is a complex theory, but the basics are, people develop and maintain social relationships based on what they can get from that relationship, and how much effort they must put in to maintain it. The more effort, the less likely the relationship will last."

"That's a horrible theory." Naruto hotly interjects. "That basically implies that everyone is selfish, self-centered, and just out for their own needs."

"Sounds about right to me."

"No!" The blonde huffs. "People are nicer than that. Some people form relationships based on personality and interests."

"Which suits your tastes and needs, does it not?"

Naruto shuffles uncomfortably, flicking his gaze nervously to Sasuke's own. "Yeah, but that's not selfish. It's just…"

"Self-interested." Sasuke finishes for him. "All relationships are maintained by some exchange of needs and interests. Whether it's having the same hobbies, likes, dislikes, or an exchange of physical wants," the blonde raises an eyebrow at the raven but doesn't interrupt, "people are in relationships for self-serving reasons."

"So, what we're doing," Naruto motions between the two boys, "is nothing but self-serving interests?"

"It serves you, and it serves me. We have a mutual exchange of benefits."

"That's it, though? There's nothing more to it?" The blonde strives to keep the disappointment from his crestfallen voice to no avail.

Sasuke sighs. "Dobe, it's a theory that holds its ground. It's far more complex than we've covered. If people didn't enjoy their personal relationships, they wouldn't maintain them."

A ray of hope enters Naruto's life again. "You enjoy us?"

The raven faintly narrows his eyes. "Dobe."

"Alright, alright. Question three." Naruto changes the topic to avoid the raven's ire. "What is aggressive behavior and why is it so common?" Naruto lifts hopeful eyes to the raven, who's already prepared to answer.

"Many believe that aggressive behavior is our innate response to most situations. We are taught to act aggressively through our culture and environments. Our society seems to push aggressive behavior through several outlets."

"Is it really that common to be aggressive and violent?"

"Yes." The raven's response is fast and unyielding. Naruto opens his mouth to say… Something. But the frigid glare on Sasuke's face makes him hold his tongue. Even the blonde, being as privy to the Uchiha's life as he is, has no idea what could make him turn into the ice prince over this matter.

Not waiting for Naruto's mouth to begin working again, Sasuke lists off the fourth question. "What is altruism and how does it affect behavior?"

"Oh!" Naruto bounces in his seat momentarily. "I know this one! Altruism is where you do good things and help people."

"How does that affect behavior?"

"I guess the same way aggression does, just in the opposite way. If you're altruistic then your behavior should be good, and hopefully your belief systems would be too."

"As relating to the social exchange theory, altruism is selfish as well. In short, people will only be kind and helpful to others if they have something to gain from it."

Naruto huffs, deeply annoyed. "Why are you so hung up on that theory? It's stupid and just makes the worst of everyone."

"Perhaps that's because humanity is inherently selfish and every person is for themselves."

"You really believe that, teme? You don't think even one person is selfless and wants to help the world with no gain?"

"That person would be a fool. They'll be used by everyone around them for their own ambitions."

Naruto shakes his head, trying to not let Sasuke's negative opinion get to him. They don't have to believe in the same things. The blonde understands that. But how can someone be so pessimistic towards the whole world? It's always better to look on the bright side.

"Last question. Can a person display both aggression and altruism?"

Not waiting for Sasuke to answer his own question, Naruto pipes in. "Yeah, I don't see why not. Just because someone is aggressive doesn't mean they can't have moments of kindness as well. There are lots of people who are only nice to people they know really well, and then aggressive towards strangers. It might not be the best personality to have, but it's common enough."

"People are either primarily aggressive or altruistic; it's very difficult to mix the two behaviors in day to day life. There can be moments that someone who's typically aggressive will be kind, and vice versa."

"I don't know," Naruto sighs in exasperation. This whole assignment has been a major drain. "I think it's really difficult to judge someone's personality based on a few of their behaviors, especially ones concerning how they act."

"People do it every day, dobe. We make flash judgements of people from the first few personality traits they exhibit. It's why you might like someone at first, and then learn more about them and dislike them. Or think someone is a horrible person, and then realize that they're altruistic."

"Oh," Naruto leans back in his seat and pops a grin at the raven. "Kind of like how I thought you were just a closed off asshole with no emotions, but you're actually a closed off asshole with an excess of emotions?"

Sasuke rolls his eyes, but the blonde can see he's resisting a smirk. "Or like how I thought you were a dim-witted, brainless blonde and you proved me exactly right."

Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "Eh, what can you do?" He chuckles and prepares to say something else, but at that moment a loud crash comes from the kitchen. Startled, the blonde snaps his attention to the doors hiding whatever disaster just took place. "Give me a sec." Sliding out of the booth at the same time AJ leaves her office, they give each other a bemused arch of the eyebrow.

"The tray jumped from my hands." Midori throws out solemnly before the kitchen door even closes. Naruto doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. On the one hand, the pitiful pout Midori is looking at the floor with is enough to bring a grin to Naruto's face. On the other hand, the boy could cry too. The two dozen, giant chocolate chip cookies he had set out to cool earlier now lie on the floor in ruins.

"We could still serve the intact ones." Naruto helpfully murmurs to AJ, getting a stern and reprimanding frown. "Joking." The boy holds up his hands in mock defense.

"I really didn't mean to." Midori mournfully keeps her eyes locked on the floor. "But the floor was wet and I tripped."

"It's okay," AJ soothingly pats the girls shoulder. "We can make more."

"If you didn't like my cookies, you could have just said so." Naruto teases the poor girl, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "Well, if it's not a big deal, I'm gonna go back out."

AJ nods absent-mindedly at Naruto, waving him out. She seems to be just as sad about the smashed cookies as Midori. Naruto chuckles at the mutual horror the two have for ruined dessert as he returns to the booth.

Sasuke is all packed up and ready to go, seemingly just waiting for the blonde to return so he can say his farewells.

"It was no big deal. Mi-chan just threw my cookies on the floor." Naruto slides into the booth, setting about putting his items back in his bag.

Sasuke raises a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Mi-chan?"

"Midori," the blonde explains easily enough, not noting the agitation flash across the raven's face. "We hung out yesterday, so I figured she could be graced with a nickname."

"When?" The steal knife of Sasuke's voice snaps Naruto's attention forward to rest on the raven. His eyes aren't focused on the blonde, but studiously watching the empty street from the dark window. To anyone else, Sasuke would likely seem deeply disinterested. But Naruto knows better.

If Sasuke doesn't care, meeting someone's gaze is no hardship. What Midori said about the raven being jealous flashes through Naruto's mind, but he casts it off. There's no reason he would be.

Thinking nothing of it, Naruto answers candidly. "Last night for a few hours. We went to the mall."

Sasuke tilts his head imperceptibly towards Naruto, eyes narrowed into slits. "Why?"

Confused, the blonde shrugs his shoulders. "I was bored and had nothing else to do. You didn't want to hang out, and she did." As if on cue, the boys hear the kitchen door open and close, and then the blonde girl comes around the corner.

She smiles sheepishly before cutting to the chase. "Naru, do you think you can work tomorrow afternoon with me? We need to remake some stuff, and I don't think I'm up to par."

The blonde smiles bright at his new friend, blind to the harsh glare Sasuke is sending out. "Sure, I'll be here."

"Thanks." Midori smiles at them, though it falters a bit when she settles on Sasuke. Flicking her attention back to Naruto, she nods before walking off quickly.

Not in the least perceptive to the tense atmosphere, Naruto continues to clean up. "Guess I got more hours now. Just not on the night I expected to."

"What are you doing tonight?" Sasuke asks suddenly, pulling the blondes focus back to him.

"Just gonna go home." Naruto blinks owlishly before a grin breaks out. "Why? Wanna come home with me?"

Sasuke scoffs, not in the least amused by the poor flirting. "I have tickets to a play that starts soon. Would you like to go?"

Taken aback, the blonde gapes at the Uchiha like a fish out of water. "Are you asking me on a date?"

One eyebrow raises again, barely feigning interest. "I don't care what you call it."

"Of course I'll go!" Naruto stands up excitedly, thankful he wore nice clothes to work today, _and_ didn't ruin them. He can just see Sasuke cancelling the whole thing due to the blonde being "inappropriately dressed". "What's the play called?" He asks as an afterthought. It's not really his avenue of interests to follow; he's not even sure where there's a live theater in Konoha.

Leisurely standing up, Sasuke pulls his coat back around him, hardly seeming to care about the entire conversation. "I have no idea. Didn't care enough to look."

What was the point of getting the tickets, then? Naruto shakes his head, wondering if he'll ever figure this boy out. "Then why do you want to go? What's the point in buying tickets to something you don't care about?"

"I didn't buy them." The raven speaks as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "They were given to me."

"Who gave them to you?"

Ignoring the blonde entirely, Sasuke heads for the café doors. "Put your coat on so we can go."

By nature, Naruto opens his mouth to argue with the raven just for the sake of doing it. But as he watches Sasuke's retreating figure, it dawns on him. He's going out with _that_ boy. He was invited with absolutely no prodding on the blonde's part. Naruto doesn't know which of his lucky stars to thank, but he feels like his heart might burst in his chest. God, he knows this is a dangerous game. He swears he does.

He just can't seem to care. He's not really sure how to differentiate between any of the emotions he's feeling anymore. Something inside resonates with the raven's company, there is no denying that. Whether it's just familial, friendly, or beginning to verge onto the path of a lover, Naruto is willing and ready to accept it. How often does a person get to experience a relationship that pulls them in so many different directions?

He's no closer to understanding what the hell is going on with them, there's no doubt about that. Getting the motivation to care when Sasuke is already within arm's reach is an entirely different matter. Do they really have to label what they're doing? Does it have to be understood in complex terms?

 _No_ , Naruto thinks happily as he walks a few steps behind Sasuke to his car. For now, he's fine with understanding it like this. Nights spent together, easy banter that keeps him laughing, and a warmth in his chest that needs no explanation. Who cares if he's in love or if Sasuke is remotely emotionally invested in this too. It feels right for the time being, and all the blonde cares about is now.

And for now, he has Sasuke.

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 **Author's Note :** Sorry it took me so long to post the rest of this! It's been a crazy month. My father was put in the hospital with a collapsed lung and I had to spend my evenings there after work, leaving no time for school or writing. Things are settling down a bit now, and I have this week off so I'm gonna try to get another chapter posted (probably on Monday, back to the usual release day).


	15. Aggression

**Author's Note :** Thank you to everybody who wished me good luck with health and school! I let my mentor talk me into continuing my studies for at least one more semester before taking a break, so I will still have classes for the next six months. As long as I keep up on them, they're really not that bad.

As for my dad's health, he seems to be doing pretty good so far, so hopefully that stays positive!

It has been brought to my attention that some of my scenes/chapters seem a bit non-consensual/coerced. This is not my intentions at all, and I'm sorry to say, but when I reread over my work, I still don't see it as such. So, we're going to take this as a "thank you for pointing it out, but I'm not changing anything". This story is meant to be a realistic portrayal of a relationship between two unwilling partners – unwilling for different reasons, but neither being sexual – and I am not going to write scenes where they romantically and lovingly throw themselves at each other. This is a romance, but it's not a fairy tale. If you cannot handle events depicting arguments within a relationship, hesitancy during sexual relations, slight jealousy over a partner, and other such real events that happen during a relationship, I suggest you stop reading this story and find something else, as it won't be for you. There are plenty of soppy SasuNaru stories on , but this will not be one of them. [I will be adding this note to the start of Ch. 1 as well, for all new readers who have not made it to Ch. 15].

And, as you have all waited so patiently, here is a half chapter! It's one of the more influential/relationship defining chapters, as well as – what I hope to be – a realistic representation of what some members of the LGBT community go through in public. It took me a lot of time to find the motivation to write this chapter, particularly the opening scene since I wasn't sure how to come across with it. I hope, all in all, it's well written. I wanted to give out a full chapter tonight, but I, of course, got sick on my 5-days off. I'll post the rest sometime later this week!

One last note! If you want to leave a review but you wished me well on the Authors Note (the prior Ch. 15) do it on a chapter that you haven't left a review for! Otherwise it will tell you that you can't post it! Or just send me a pm :) it's frustrating to type up a review and then be told it can't be saved.

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 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse. **  
**

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

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 **Chapter 15 : Aggression**

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"Can I see the tickets?" Naruto expectantly turns towards Sasuke in the small amount of space, assuming they would be on his person.

"In the glove box, dobe. And don't lose them." Sasuke glowers softly as Naruto grumbles, but doesn't speak anymore as the blonde goes to retrieve the tickets. Naruto clicks open the glove compartment and rummages around the obsessively neat space, coming back with two small slips of paper.

Squinting his eyes, Naruto reads the fine print in the dim light of the car. "Bringer of the Night?" He tilts his head quizzically to look at the raven. "What kind of play is this?"

"I have no idea. Search online if you really need to know."

Well, fine, Naruto thinks begrudgingly. He'll do just that. And here he was being lead to believe Sasuke knows everything. "Where's this playing at?" The blonde muses aloud to himself, trailing his eyes back to the tickets. "Fortunata Opera House? I thought they were super expensive?" The huge, Italian Renaissance style building on main street has always been one of those "don't approach" places to Naruto; it seems exclusively for the rich.

"They are." Scrolling his eyes over the ticket as the raven confirms his suspicions, the blonde sees the ticket price on the lower right corner.

Naruto sputters, starting up in his seat and looking harshly at Sasuke. "Who gave you these tickets?"

Continuing to appear the epitome of relaxation, the raven doesn't take his eyes off the road as he calmly answers. "My brother."

"Well," strangled panic beginning to fill Naruto's voice, "do I look good enough? This is an evening wear place, right?"

"It is."

"That what are we doing?" The blonde wildly motions to his outfit as if that explains everything.

"Do you even own an evening outfit?"

"No."

"That's what I thought. You look fine."

Naruto smooths out his dark gray button down shirt frantically and checks his jeans for no flour stains. He really wishes he looked just a bit nicer.

"Stop. It will be fine." That's not really what the blonde wants to hear from Sasuke; he's sporting a collared black cashmere sweater and equally dark jeans. With a personality that screams arrogance, Sasuke pulls it off and makes it look classy. Nothing short of a suit will make Naruto look classy.

"Easy for you to say. You always look gorgeous." Naruto mutters, missing the pleased smirk gracing the raven's lips. Instead of fussing about his appearance – because, let's face it, nothing can be done at this point – the blonde returns to his original line of thought.

Pulling up the theaters listing page, he reads off the basic synopsis for himself and Sasuke. "Bringer of the Night follows a cabaret through the Victorian underground, where they become tangled in a seedy web of lust and lies." Naruto pauses, reading mentally to himself for a moment. "I think this is a gothic musical about vampires." The boy groans, leaning his head back against the seat. "This better not be scary, teme."

"It's a play, dobe. There's only so much they can do."

"They can traumatize me." Naruto does his best to not flash a grin at the scoff emitting from the raven.

"Your tolerance for horror is pitifully low."

"You mean nonexistent." Naruto counters, not helping his plight. "And it starts at 10pm. You can't tell me they're not trying to scare people."

Sasuke sighs, unamused by the blonde's rant. "My brother knows I would prefer to see a show at a late time, rather than early. I'm sure they had a viewing long before 10. This is likely the last show of the night."

"For someone you don't get along with, he sure takes your preferences into consideration." The moment the words leave his mouth, Naruto wants to take them back. The immediate, rigid straightness of Sasuke's back is only rivaled in tension by the scowl that crosses his face.

Apparently, the brother is truly a forbidden topic. Naruto clears his throat nervously. "So, are you excited to see this play?" For his part, the blonde is psyched to be going, if not a bit panicked. This isn't a typical Saturday night event for Naruto. He has no idea what to be expecting from this outing.

"It should be decent." Sasuke's shoulders lose some of their tension, relaxing Naruto as well. As curious as he is about the dynamics between the Uchiha siblings, the blonde is not going to push that topic. There is no way he's letting this night be ruined.

Nerves are fully in force by the time they pull into the opera house parking lot. Smoothing his hands down his shirt in one last futile effort, Naruto pushes open the car door. He shivers in the early March chill, surveying the sparsely populated lot. Late night viewings must not be incredibly popular.

"Do you still have the tickets?" Sasuke inquires as the blonde comes around the car.

"Right here." Naruto pulls the tickets from his pocket before quickly shoving his hand back into the warmth. God, he's ready for the weather to completely warm up.

He trails close to the raven as they walk towards the huge structure, marveling at the sweeping four story opera house with awe. Looking at it, you can feel the history and culture seeping out from the walls. Naruto feels like he's taken a step back in time as they walk under the archway taking them to the main doors. His admiration is only increased when they step inside.

"Holy shit, this place is amazing." Naruto whispers out, gazing up at the four-story high ceiling before dragging them back down. A huge, golden chandelier hangs down from the center of the ceiling, shimmering in the light it casts. Directly in front of them are red-carpeted double stairs leading to the second floor, and off that are spiral stairs leading up to the third. Yet again, double stairs lead up to the fourth floor, with another spiral set going to the fifth. The blonde can't strain his eyes high enough to see what's beyond that, not that he needs to. What he's already seen has him mind blown. Huge pillars line each floor, making Naruto think of Grecian temples.

Absentmindedly, the blonde follows Sasuke off to the side towards the center admission stand. The first floor doesn't have the grandeur that the above floors do, and Naruto is able to pull his focus to the cashier.

"Hello," she greets cheerfully, "welcome to Fortunata. How can I assist you?" Naruto watches as the woman sweeps her eyes over him once, before settling her appreciative gaze on Sasuke. The blonde rolls his eyes. How these poor ladies are always wasting their time.

The raven inclines his head towards his blonde companion, who steps forward to hand over the tickets. The woman doesn't seem to care for Sasuke's brush-off, as her entire demeanor changes. The cashier purses her lips and takes the tickets from Naruto with such poise, the boy is sure she's afraid of getting burned if their hands touch.

" _Bringer of the Night_ is being hosted in the Grande Lobby, on the fourth floor." She types something into her computer and hands the tickets back to Naruto snippily.

"Okay." Naruto gives the girl a too-sunny, obviously fake smile before catching Sasuke's hand in his own. A small lift of his mouth is the only indication the raven gives of following Naruto's lead, letting him be spiteful towards the girl.

With that, he pulls the blonde next to his side and towards the first set of stairs they'll have to traipse. Naruto squeezes Sasuke's hand, part in reassurance and part excitement. "Is it usually this empty in here?" There was no line to get in, no line at the admission stand, and only a few people standing in the lobby.

Sasuke follows Naruto's line of sight, taking in the balcony space around them before continuing to the spiral stairs. "No. Typically, there would be a line to get admitted, and ushers to show you to your seating."

"Then why is it so dead tonight?"

"It's a slow period right now. Fortunata doesn't put on any of their major productions till further in the year."

At the massive double doors leading into the auditorium, an usher bows to the boys before pulling open the door, standing aside for them to walk past. As Naruto figured it would be, the theatre is sparsely populated – and gorgeous. The walls are a luscious gold with large, arched windows set into each side.

The rich, red seats are striking against the golden hue surrounding them. The seats themselves are set up in three different tiers, each one being stacked above the next. They're tickets place them in the first row of the second tier, with no one else near them.

"Will we be able to see and hear okay?"

Sasuke nods in the affirmative, taking a seat. "The entire room is wired up, so you'll hear what's going on. As for seeing, it shouldn't be an issue. Nothing will be blocking our view."

"Huh." Naruto sits next to Sasuke. "And how long will this play last?"

"Likely an hour and a half, with a break about 45 minutes in."

Naruto nods silently as he looks around the massive room. It's all strange and new to him. "Sasuke, what's that big, open area in front of the stage?"

The raven's eyes trail to where Naruto is pointing. "It's the orchestra pit for operas."

"This is a play though, right? Not an opera?"

"Correct, dobe. But this is the main theatre, so it will be fully equipped for all styles of performing arts."

Naruto opens his mouth to ask more questions, but is cut off by the lights dimming, then going out fully. Even Naruto knows that you be silent once those lights are out. He sits back in his seat and eagerly watches the stage, waiting for the curtain to rise.

He's not disappointed; a few moments later it does just that. The blonde leans forward in his seat, watching the stage with full immersion. Dark, thematic music leads the actors onto the stage, where the scene begins to take place. Fully engrossed, Naruto zones out from everything but the unfolding story.

"They're so good!" Naruto exclaims as they walk into the lobby, bouncing excitedly on his heels at Sasuke's side. "I wasn't sure what to expect, but they've totally knocked this out of the park."

A small smirk plays at the corner of the raven's mouth. He rolls his eyes but agrees with the blonde. "It is quite good."

"Hey," Naruto grabs hold of Sasuke's hand and tugs. "Can we go walk around the back of the lobby? I think there's a balcony around here." The blonde turns pleading eyes towards the raven, a pout already forming.

"Sure you won't fall off?" An inquisitive eyebrow arches its way up, much to Naruto's good-humored annoyance.

The blonde shrugs his shoulders and squeezes Sasuke's hand momentarily. "Only if you push me."

"I make no promises."

Naruto scoffs and rolls his eyes. "You wouldn't know what to do without me."

"I might be able to get some peace and quiet."

"What's the fun in that?" Honestly. The blonde will never understand what Sasuke finds so fascinating about being alone. It's always better to be with someone that you enjoy spending time with. At least in Naruto's opinion.

"There is one!" The blonde all but flings the door open, stepping onto the marbled flooring of the balcony. Naruto breathes the crisp night air in deeply, thankful for the fresh breeze. "Wow, it's really nice out here." The whole place was lit up on the outside, casting a golden glow among the walls and arches of the building. The city puts on a show of its own, twinkling with streetlights, cars, and buildings. You can't see the stars in light pollution like this, but Naruto thinks city lights have a beauty all of their own.

The boys stand in amiable silence for a bit, both happy for a break. Naruto leans slightly over the railing of the arch while Sasuke rests his back against one of the pillars. What with being pre-occupied with scouring the city with his eyes, Naruto doesn't notice the arrival of an elderly lady dressed fashionably, and holding her nose in the air as she approaches the boys. It's only when she starts speaking does the blonde's attention snap to her.

"You should think about what you're making other people bear witness to." The woman scolds patronizingly. "It is an affront to the lord for two men to be together. And so young to be partaking in such sin! You should be ashamed."

Like a fish out of water, Naruto's mouth opens to say something, but he comes up short. How do you respond to _that_?

"The only thing I'm ashamed of is you," Sasuke remarks with a lack of interest to his tone, not changing his position in the slightest. "If you have nothing better to do than interfere with other people, I suggest you stay home and read that bible some more. You could use a lesson in scripture. Particularly Matthew 7:1 : Do not judge, or you too will be judged."

The woman huffs, indignation burning in her eyes. "Do not tell me about the bible!"

"Do not tell me what to do with my life, hypocritical swine."

Gasping, the woman places a hand over her heart and frantically looks about, as if someone nearby should confirm she heard correctly. "How dare you speak to me in such a manner! I'll have you thrown out!"

Sasuke scoffs, rolling his eyes with such annoyance, Naruto is surprised he can't hear them make their rounds. "Yes, go tell the concierge that were disrupting your night by existing. I'm sure he'll come right to your aid."

"Sasuke…" Naruto tugs gently at the raven's hand, barely audible for his companion to hear. "Let's go back in."

"What is that little tramp of yours whispering about?" The woman narrows her eyes and sneers at Naruto, who blushes frantically, wishing for nothing more than to get away.

Sasuke's eyes snap up from where their gaze was resting on Naruto to glare at the woman with a penetrating hatred so fierce she takes a step back, as if in fear of being slapped.

Naruto isn't having any more of it. He steps around Sasuke, grabbing the raven's hand and pulling him towards the door leading back to the lobby. "Intermission is almost over. We should get back to our seats." The raven allows himself to be dragged along effortlessly. Naruto damn near breathes a sigh of relief. He did not want to stay and continue that confrontation.

"It's hard to believe people like that actually exist, huh?" Naruto gives a strangled chuckle, trying to ease the tension. "It's like they're –"

"Don't, dobe." Sasuke stops suddenly, not letting go of Naruto's hand. The blonde jerks to a stop and turns around confusedly. "Don't make light of fools like them. Take it and learn from it, so you can stand against it."

Naruto has to glance away from the raven's steel gaze. He tries to gulp back the lump building in his throat, to no avail. He can feel the waterworks building behind his eyes, threatening to break loose at any moment. Sighing in frustration, Naruto rubs a palm over his eyes. "I'm really not that bothered," he tries to reassure himself more than Sasuke, but the words come out hitched and strained.

Before he can protest, the raven pulls him off to a corner of the room shrouded in darkness. The lobby is fairly deserted to begin with, but the darkness here gives an added sense of solitude. One Naruto can appreciate.

"Sas –" Naruto tries once more to utter some semblance of a reassurance, but he's pulled forward sharply and the breath leaves his body. His chin hits just below Sasuke's shoulder as his hands blindly grasp around the ravens back.

"Just shut up, dobe. It's okay to be hurt on this point."

He tries – he really, truly does – to hold back the tears that come streaming down his face. He doesn't want to show such weakness to Sasuke; doesn't want to give him a new reason to run. But how does he explain that it's not so much what that woman said, as the residual pain she dredged up? Sasuke is wrong. You can't learn to stand against this pain. You just learn how to shoulder it and hope that someday you can push it aside.

Naruto buries his face in Sasuke's neck, breathing deeply to calm himself. As the blonde evens out his breathing, he distracts himself with a bit of a game. Upon calming down, he starts to realize his exact position and the proximity to the raven he currently has. Being this close, he can smell the cologne that Sasuke always wears, but can never focus his mind to discern the scents. There's a definite hint of cinnamon in there, but it's more woodsy than that. There's a musky scent hidden underneath it all that you really have to focus on to pick up; it blends so well with the cinnamon. The blonde nestles into the raven further, keeping his eyes closed and tightening his lock around Sasuke's back. He hears the raven sigh agitatedly before a set of arms close around his shoulders and upper back, pulling him tighter against his favorite person.

Naruto all but melts into the embrace. He can count on one hand the number of times he's felt this comforted, and they both happened after similar incidents. There's something about people being assholes that brings out the compassion in your family and friends. On Tsunade's part, Naruto assumes it was pity. Pity and hurt at seeing a child she'd put so much time in taking care of be bullied and not understanding the circumstances. For Jiraiya, the blonde relates it to guilt. For not being there. For not being able to replace his parents. For not being able to offer some amount of normalcy and stability to his life.

But for Sasuke, who's usually so cold and unemotionally invested in any situation, Naruto can't place why he would try to soothe him. What he would expect is to be told to deal with it and move on. Not to have the raven pull him off to somewhere private that he could breakdown in peace. Although, it was also startling to hear Sasuke go off on that women. The typical stoic façade Sasuke presents shattered under his anger at her ignorance.

Outside of their assignments, Naruto doesn't think he's heard Sasuke say so much. Is it possible that the comfort the raven is handing out is comfort he needs returned? Naruto sniffles softly, having calmed down some time ago. He loosens his grip on Sasuke, dropping one hand lower to rub light circles through the fabric of his shirt. Naruto can count the number of times he's tried to comfort someone else, and this is it. He wishes he could see – or even just know – what Sasuke is feeling. But there isn't enough curiosity in the world to get the blonde to pull away from the ravens cinnamon-scented neck.

"Intermission will be ending in five minutes." The concierge announces to the general public, breaking the moment between the boys.

"Come on, dobe." Sasuke pulls away, but makes sure to grab the blonde's hand before pulling him back to the auditorium. Naruto tries to not let his disappoint at the loss of contact show too strongly.

As they take their seats, Naruto happens to spot the rude woman in a box seat as he sweeps his eyes over the auditorium. The bigot stares snidely down at them, displeasure evident in her features. Sasuke's eyes follow the blonde's gaze, narrowing in contempt as they settle on the woman.

"Dobe." Taking his eyes away from the box, Naruto turns to see what the raven wants. Unexpectedly, the blonde's lips are caught in a searing kiss. He sighs and leans into the raven's touch, increasing the wonderful pressure for just a moment before Sasuke pulls back. Naruto doesn't need to look up at the hateful lady to know the smirk playing on the ravens wicked lips is due to her condemnation. Apparently, the woman gets two different shows tonight.

"You're a horrible tease, teme." Naruto shakes his head in mock pity before flashing the boy a wide smile and righting himself in his seat.

Sasuke's only response is a small murmur of agreement before settling back in for the rest of the show.

It isn't until hallway through the second act that Naruto realizes Sasuke still has their hands entwined. The warm, solid reminder of his companionship remains the rest of the night.

* * *

Going home alone after the events of the play was not something Naruto looked forward to. He knew he was going to have a restless night, and restless it was.

Aside from the tossing and turning, he couldn't get comfortable and the nightmares were ferocious. His bed felt empty, not to mention how isolated he felt in general. Needless to say, he woke groggier than before he laid down five hours ago.

It's after this sleepless night that Naruto finds himself on the couch at 6am on a Sunday, watching early morning cartoons with bleary eyes. The antics on the screen are doing nothing to alleviate the nagging flashes of dreams he had when he did find bouts of fitful rest. Images of his loved ones criticizing and belittling him for being with another man continue to flash through his mind.

The boy feels wretched for having any doubts about continuing his time with the raven, but the uncertainty and past trauma of being an outcast keeps coming up. Can he handle having people come at him like that again? And if he can't, can he handle letting go of Sasuke?

Naruto groans and curls up on the couch. Why does he have to deal with things like this? It's just not fair. There should be a perfect society where everyone is accepted as they come. The boy scoffs at himself for the notion; that has never happened in the history of ever.

Part of him wishes he has someone he can talk to about this. His fingers idly clutch his phone, and he considers texting Sasuke. But what good would that do? The raven is already confirmed in his sexuality and stands strong when approached with negative views. If Naruto were to confide his doubts to the boy, it would most certainly push him away. Something Naruto does not to do.

He could always text –

Naruto nearly drops his phone from the shock at the sudden vibration pulsing through his hand. Peeling open his eyes, he blearily peers at the screen with half closed eyes. At seeing Sasuke's name at the top of the message box, Naruto sits up on his elbows and blinks away the haze, scrambling to open the text.

 _Dobe, you left your bag in my car. None of your homework is done._

Naruto chuckles and shakes his head, closing his eyes as he feels himself start to calm down already. What is it about talking to Sasuke that just have a comforting effect for him? He jots out a reply quickly. _It's fine teme. Not like I would do it anyways._

The reply is nearly instantaneous. _Why are you awake?_

 _Decided to have an early day_ , Naruto lies. No sense in telling him the truth. But instead of the conversation ending at that, the blonde stares at his phone in shock as it lights up with a call from no other than Sasuke.

"Hello?" Naruto answers uncertainly, almost wondering if Sasuke hit call by accident.

"What are you doing, dobe?" Sasuke's rich voice fills the line, sounding annoyed already.

"Um," Naruto glances at the T.V, "watching a show."

Exasperated for whatever reasons make Sasuke feel anything, the boy sighs heavily. "Are you alone?"

"Well, Jiraiya's gone, if that's what you mean."

"Why are you up so early? It's usually noon before you'd get up."

Naruto shrugs his shoulders before realizing Sasuke can't see him. "I already told you, I just felt like it."

"Then you can do all this homework."

Naruto groans. "I don't want to. I'm so not in the mood, and…"

"Quit whining. I'll be over in a bit."

"Sasuke," the blonde starts to protest, but the raven has already hung up. Naruto stares at his phone before dropping his head back to the couch. Whatever. Not like he has any right to complain about Sasuke barging over. He has done it himself to the poor boy.

Naruto lays there for another forty minutes before hearing the unmistakable sound of gravel crunching. With a groan, he pushes himself up and pads to the front door lazily, pulling it open as Sasuke is just coming up the drive, beeping his car alarm on.

Sasuke narrows his eyes as he approaches the blonde, stopping just in front of the shorter boy. "You look like shit."

"Thanks." Naruto replies dryly, moving aside for Sasuke to come in. "So," the blonde follows behind, "you wanna torture me with homework?"

"Did you sleep at all, dobe?"

Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "Some."

Sasuke drops Naruto's bag and his own on the floor in the foyer. "Come on. We're taking a shower, then going to bed."

Naruto wants to protest. He really does. But his bones ache at the mention of a shower, and the idea of going to sleep with Sasuke after last night is too inviting. "I guess we can do that." Sasuke rolls his eyes, showing himself the way upstairs with a blonde following close behind.

"Unless you want to sleep naked, grab some clothes for us."

"What if I take you up on that offer?" Naruto grins, but it falters a bit at the arched eyebrow and slight smirk that graces the raven's countenance.

"Another time, dobe. You need to get some rest for now." Sasuke disappears into the bathroom, leaving Naruto to decide on what to do about clothes. He just wanted to tease Sasuke a bit about being naked, but that promiscuous little smirk rattled him. They will have boxers, at least.

"Okay, we have some clothes now." The blonde walks into the bathroom to find Sasuke tempering out the water. Turning his attention to Naruto, he motions to the shower.

"Test this." Stepping around the blonde to give him access, the raven begins pulling off his clothes, folding them and setting them aside.

"It's good, maybe a little –" Naruto's words catch in his throat when he turns around to be greeted with a fully nude Sasuke. "Little warm." The blonde coughs and looks away, blushing. While he's done a few perverse things with the gorgeous boy in front of him, he's never seen him like _this_. Even during that last shower they took together, it wasn't sexual in the least and he wasn't looking. Not that Sasuke really gave him a chance, anyways.

Apparently, he not only gets a chance today, but a front row seat.

"Quit staring, dobe." Sasuke shakes his head imperceptibly before reaching forward and grabbing the hem of Naruto's shirt, pulling it upwards and softly grazing his palms against the blonde's stomach. Naruto shivers and raises his arms, letting the shirt come off.

"It's not my fault. You gave me no warning." The blonde unfastens his jeans and starts shimmying them down with a bit of help from Sasuke. Naruto leans forward, stealing a quick kiss from his lover before pulling away with a grin.

"In the shower, dobe." Following orders, Naruto steps into the hot water and pulls Sasuke in with him. The raven is all business, sliding soapy hands over the blonde's stomach and chest before circling around his back. Tingles and goosebumps explode over his skin at every touch, causing the boy to shiver despite the heat. "Turn around."

Doing as told without any hesitancy, Naruto gives his back to the demanding boy who instantly slides those sinful hands into his hair and kneads at his scalp.

"Sasuke," Naruto mumbles out, "gonna fall asleep in here if you keep doing that." The blonde does his best to keep from lulling his head backwards.

"Rinse off, dobe."

Stepping over slightly, Naruto lets the hot water rain down on him. Whatever magic the raven is working through his fingertips has the blonde a puddle in his arms. In a matter of minutes the raven has managed to make Naruto feel more relaxed and like himself.

Languidly, the blonde slides his palms up Sasuke's back, reveling in the liquid smoothness. "Can I return the favor, please?"

Sasuke pauses for a moment from rinsing the conditioner out of Naruto's hair. "I suppose." He returns to his task before stepping back, allowing Naruto room to perform the action. And admire the ravens body. What a damn nice body it is, too…

"Dobe." Sasuke's smooth voice breaks the boy's concentration, bringing Naruto's attention upwards.

"Hm?"

"Are you going to do anything or stare at my ass all day?"

Naruto chuckles but begins lathering shampoo through the raven's silky hair. "I could work with that second option."

"I bet you could." Sasuke grumbles softly, letting his head fall back into Naruto's hands. The blonde grins. Apparently, a weak spot has been found. Naruto massages his fingertips into the raven's scalp, hitting all his own favorite spots.

"Come on, let's get this rinse out." Naruto backs up a bit, letting Sasuke turn around and step forward into the spray. The blonde continues his massage, rinsing all the suds away. "We should do this more often."

"Why?"

"It's nice."

Sasuke turns around, running his hands through his hair to clear the water streaming down his face before leaning in to kiss the blonde. Naruto returns the affection, a small grin playing on his lips. "You're being nice, too. What's up with that?"

Sasuke pulls away, a smirk on his lips. "And we're done." He reaches an arm behind to turn the water off before pulling the shower door open. "Out."

Naruto rolls his eyes; never tell the grand Uchiha he's doing anything kind. It will bring the act to a quick halt. He exits the shower after the raven, taking the offered towel. Sasuke leaves him to get dressed in the bedroom, though it's not long before the blonde joins him.

The blonde stretches his arms, yawning in the process. "You know, it's gonna mess up my sleep schedule to pass out now."

"Shut up and get in bed, dobe." Naruto smiles while watching Sasuke make himself comfortable in his bed. And it pretty much hits him all at once while he's in a complete state of utter exhaustion. There is no amount of criticism in this world that could make him not be with Sasuke, so long as he has the raven's permission to stay at his side. No one in their right mind would give up someone who means so much to them.

"You know, teme", Naruto slides into the bed, "you didn't have to come over. I would have been okay today."

"Right. You sounded perfectly fine on the phone."

"You gonna come to my rescue every time something is bothering me?"

Sasuke scoffs in annoyance, though he doesn't resist when Naruto throws an arm around his waist and nuzzles his face into the raven's neck. "Don't count on it, dobe. Today was special."

"Why? Because of last night?" The blonde's words of muffled in the crevice of Sasuke's shoulder, but he knows that he was heard just fine. The raven's shoulder tenses just barely, and he feels Sasuke' nod his head.

Naruto shrugs his shoulders – or tries to. He does seem to be quite exhausted now that he's in comfortable hands. "It's okay, really. I've gotta get used to it, since I'm not going anywhere."

The raven hums softly, draping his own arm over the blonde's thigh. "Sleep, dobe."

Naruto smiles, happy to follow that order. If only all things could be this simple.

* * *

Waking to the sound of Sasuke's soft voice ringing out his name, Naruto groans and rolls over. He mumbles half-heartedly about being left alone while snuggling back into the warm covers.

"Midori is expecting you at the café, dobe." Naruto opens his eyes halfway to see Sasuke standing at his window, lightly touching one of the potted herbs.

This news does nothing to deter his interest of staying in bed. "Why?"

"You told her you'd help last night."

Naruto rubs a palm over his face and grumbles. Why did he have to be nice and offer away his free time? Making plans and then wanting to back out is always the worst. Sleeping in with Sasuke is what he wants to do now. "How long have you been up?" The blonde kicks his legs over the side of the bed and pulls himself into a sitting position, contemplating if he really wants to go.

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders, taking in the view outside rather than turning his attention to Naruto. "Not long. I woke up when Midori called."

"Oh. Why didn't you wake me up then?"

"I figured you could sleep for another hour."

The blonde smiles sunnily at Sasuke. "I could have slept for the rest of the day."

Sasuke does turn his attention to Naruto this time, rolling his eyes out of habit. "Then you would be sleeping during class tomorrow."

The blonde shrugs his shoulders, hardly perturbed at this thought. "Wouldn't be the first time."

The raven shakes his head slightly at Naruto's lack of care towards school. "Get dressed and attend to your obligations. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You're leaving?" The blonde tries not to pout, but he doesn't quite manage to hold back his unhappiness. The last thing he wants is for Sasuke to leave. A fear rises up inside of him at the thought of not being in the raven's presence. What if the only thing keeping all the anxiety and grief at bay is the boy standing in front of him? Naruto is not fond of that idea. Not at all.

Sasuke moves away from the window and comes to stand in front of Naruto. The blonde doesn't protest as the raven slides a hand around his neck and into his hair, forcing him to tilt his head upwards. When Sasuke has him where he wants him, he leans down and chastely lays a kiss against the boy's lips.

Not at all satisfied with the state of things, Naruto pushes himself into the kiss, wanting more of the raven. Sasuke returns the pressure momentarily before pulling back and letting go of his hold. "We'll do the assignment together on Tuesday, after practice. If you don't get on my nerves too much, you can stay the night this weekend."

This brings a small smile to Naruto's face. If the raven is actually offering, then he does have some understanding of how bothered the blonde is. "Yeah, I can work with that. Just do me one favor?"

Sasuke raises an eyebrow and silently waits to hear the request.

"Wait for me to get ready before leaving." Naruto's hopeful plea is met with a small nod, melting an elated smile onto his face. He pecks a quick, unsuspecting kiss onto the raven's mouth before moving to his closet and pulling out a simple t-shirt and jeans. "By the way, we're gonna have to push our meetings back to at least 6pm."

"I'm aware, dobe. We've discussed this."

"You might have forgotten." Naruto grins cheekily, holding open the door of his room for Sasuke to pass through. If the raven had an issue with remembering things, he wouldn't be the top student of not only their class, but the entire school. Only Shikamaru has scores as good, but he doesn't put any effort into maintaining a fantastic academic record.

The pair walks out to the driveway, meandering their way towards their parked vehicles. Naruto sighs gloomily as they reach Sasuke's Camaro, none too happy about the boy leaving. He's usually not quite this mopey, but the blonde is too unsettled about being alone for now. He kicks a rock, trailing his eyes along the lazy path it makes down the drive.

"Dobe." Sasuke huffs softly and pulls Naruto towards him, giving him a loose hug before stepping back. "Hang out with your friend and cheer up. That's an order."

"You think you get to order me around now?" Naruto offhandedly mumbles while trying not to blush. The raven's small acts of intimacy cause him more embarrassment than anything sexual they could ever do. It's always unexpected and so… Extremely pleasant.

Sasuke chooses to ignore the small protest, opening the door to his car and making to step inside. "I'll see you later, dobe." Naruto nods and waits as the raven puts the car into gear and backs down the drive, watching until he pulls onto the road and disappears from sight. With a heavy sigh, Naruto gears up his jeep and heads for the café.

It's gonna be a long couple of days till the next assignment.

* * *

Naruto sighs for the fifth time in a row. He's beginning to wonder who exactly Kiba is trying to defend here, because it seems like he's the jealous lover. The blonde thought this had been taken care of over the weekend, but apparently not. Kiba jumped him the moment he entered homeroom and demanded an explanation, but Sasuke walked in and saved the day. The mutt might be angry about Naruto hanging out with Midori, but he wouldn't call attention to it in front of the raven.

Which is why the blonde is now sitting and discussing his weekend activities with Kiba during lunch, instead of doing something more enjoyable. Like getting a root canal.

Kiba sends a glare over his tray. "Who is this chick?"

Naruto shrugs his shoulders and slurps down another forkful of noodles. "I've told you. She's working at the café now. She's a junior here at Kasai."

"And Sasuke is cool with you going out with her?"

The blonde levels an icy glare at his friend. "One, Sasuke does not own me to say who I can spend time with. Two, I am not _going out_ with her. We were just hanging out. And three, Sasuke knows about it." Good lord, if Kiba makes him say one more word that sounds anything close to a defense of his free time and what he can or cannot do, the blonde's head just might explode in irritation.

Kiba holds up his palms in a sign of defeat, though the eyeroll doesn't help his plight. "I'm just saying, it looked like a date to the casual observer. Really scared the shit out of me. Thought there was gonna be a bloodbath come Monday between you guys."

Naruto snorts in annoyance. "You think I'm gonna bail on the teme so easily?"

Kiba shrugs his shoulders. "So much shit has gone down between you two, I don't know what to expect anymore."

Well, Naruto can't argue the truth of that. It's been a rollercoaster for the past two months. He's not really sure how they've managed to get this far, but he's happy with the way things are going. Sasuke hasn't been pulling away – if anything, he's been making himself available.

"I really don't think it's a problem, you know?"

"I'm not trying to say you have no freedom. I would just hate to see that jackass get pissed off and bail because he got jealous."

"I don't think he's like that. After I told him about hanging out with her, he took me to see a play. Wasn't jealous or upset or anything."

Kiba raises an incredulous eyebrow. "You got a date after telling him you were with someone else?" The mutt snorts. "God damn, do you got that guy wrapped around your finger."

Naruto tilts his head with a lack of understanding, wondering if Kiba is going to explain his reasoning further. Before he can take a hint though, the blonde sees a tray being set down next to him. Turning his attention to the side, he smiles as Shikamaru takes his usual seat, with  
Choji alongside him.

Having some common sense, Kiba drops the prior conversation when their extra guests sit down. Naruto has not explicitly said anything to the other boys about his time with Sasuke, and isn't eager to bring it up. The sheer amount of nerves that come over him at the thought of having that conversation with the guys makes him shiver. It's not so much that he feels ashamed of his relationship – or lack thereof – with Sasuke, but that the boy has no idea how you even enter into that topic. He wouldn't have to explain to his friends if there was some girl he wanted to be with. He could simply state that he's interested in someone and be done with it.

But, with the whole scenario of telling his friends he's into Sasuke, the blonde feels like he would owe them an explanation for the crush. That it won't just be easily accepted among everyone like Kiba took it. And when he thinks about having to give anyone a reason for why he wants to be with someone, his irritation and indignation spike up, making him want to shut out the whole thing. Honestly, this same sex relationship stuff is made to be too complicated. People should be able to like whoever they want to like, without feeling the need to justify their attraction.

Unfortunately, even Naruto can see that some things will not be changing any time soon. While he's not too sure of the ends and outs, the right and wrong of being in the gay community, he does know that it'll be a difficult time to get through. His silver lining is that he'll have Sasuke at his side to help him navigate the dark waters.

Lord knows he'll need him.

* * *

They are screwed.

Naruto resists the urge to groan and settles for closing his eyes in a grimace. They've been on the field for an hour now, and they can't seem to get into a groove. It's not that any of the boys are bad players; it's just that they don't seem to know how to play together. Teamwork does not seem to be key with the new ones. Which is stupid, since they've already made the team. They have nothing else to prove at this point, except that it wasn't a mistake to choose them.

"Alright, listen up!" Naruto hollers out to the field, having all eyes turn to him. "We are not going to win anything with you guys trying to one-up the other. Its gotta be a solid group effort. This is a team sport. If you only know how to play for yourself, speak up now so I can get you replaced." Naruto eyes the group, unwavering in his stern glare. The new boys shuffle from side to side, not daring to say a word. The returning players, on the other hand, look relieved that Naruto said something.

"We chose you guys because you seemed like a strong group." Kiba adds, walking towards Naruto from the goalie's post. "But we can't be a strong team if no one wants to play together."

Naruto nods in agreement. "Now, show me that we didn't make a mistake in choose you." With that, activity picks up again, and the blonde prays practice goes smoother from here on out.

Part of Naruto is glad this is his last year as captain. Tryouts and startup practices are never a fun time, as everyone has to get used to each other. Then you got Kiba, who Naruto wouldn't change as his co-captain for anything, constantly yelling out commands like a drill sergeant. Really, he learned that bad habit from coach. Some control over you team is absolutely necessary, but you have to slacken the reigns to let them have some ease and enjoyment. Sure, it's a sport and they're competing, but it's also an extra-curricular that's meant to be enjoyed.

Naruto plays the back of the field, letting the other members go at the ball as he stalls and watches their tactics and movements. They'll definitely be having an evasive moves session. Maybe a group passing session as well. Altogether, they're a pretty good team. They just need polished. That's what Naruto is here for.

In theory, anyways.

He's just not feeling as into soccer this year as he usually does. It might be senior nerves; he's actually making an effort in his classes for once. He's also working more, drawing his focus and attention to his culinary love rather than his sports hobby.

But if he's honest with himself, he knows the real, underlying reason for his inattentive nature is due to a certain boy that he would like to be spending his time with instead. Naruto never really understood why people couldn't maintain a relationship and extra-curriculars. Now he gets it.

The blonde completely lacks the attention span to focus on multiple things at a time, and all his attention has been given to Sasuke. Not that Naruto minds. Whatever is going on with him and the teme is terrifying and exciting. It's new and so overwhelming – a euphoric combination that makes it difficult to pull away.

When he tries to wrap his mind around one piece of the puzzle that is Sasuke, another piece pops out of place, demanding his attention. He's not sure things will ever settle down, and he doesn't think he wants it to. He loves his time with the raven, despite it brining a whole array of problems.

Mostly, Naruto has done a pretty good job of ignoring those. Just like he's been able to ignore the memory of that horrid woman – a woman that, Naruto is well aware, is just the tip of the iceberg. He's sure there are going to be plenty more moments in the rapidly approaching future that will surpass Saturday night, but the blonde is doing his best to not dwell on that.

 _All good things must come with a little grief_ , he thinks resolutely.

"Much like this soccer practice," he mutters grimly under his breath, watching the first real scuffle break out among the team. He shakes his head and jogs over to the warring group, praying for the moment he can be with the focus of his attention. Then, peace will come.

* * *

Nearly tripping over his own feet, Naruto rushes into the café and straight to the alcove seating a handsome raven. The blonde momentarily ogles the boy, wondering how he ever managed to gain the attention of this particular one. Really, wearing a navy-blue sweater and jeans shouldn't _look so good_.

"Sorry, I'm late. Practice ran over and then I had to shower before coming here." Naruto sighs melodramatically as he slides into the booth. "We start playing next week and I swear we're gonna get slaughtered."

Sasuke seems hardly perturbed about the blonde's issues. "You started your practices too late, dobe. How were you made captain? A tiny smirk doesn't go unnoticed by Naruto, who happily plays along.

The blonde glares hotly across the table, turning up his nose dramatically. "Because everyone loves me." He sniffs indignantly, scrunching his nose at the insulting raven.

"Unfortunate decision for them." Sasuke shows a full-blown smirk at the sputtering blonde, who can't form a comeback. "The assignment, dobe."

"The assignment," Naruto repeats blandly after regaining control, "is about…" the boy looks to his paper, "aggression. How fun."

Sasuke isn't having any of the blondes dilly dallying today. He poises his pen to begin writing and fires off the first question. "What is the definition of aggression as relating to social psychology?"

Naruto sighs morosely and closes his eyes. He's so not prepared for these questions today. His brain just doesn't want to function after all the physical activity he's done. "I guess it would be acting in a hostile way towards people."

"Exactly." Sasuke jots something down in his notebook before expanding on the question. "It's behavior that is designed to damage another person, whether emotionally or physically." Sasuke makes another quick note before moving on. "What are the two types of aggression?"

"I didn't know there were types of aggression. I thought it was all just people being assholes." Naruto shrugs his shoulders as Sasuke rolls his eyes. One of these days, those things are gonna get stuck.

"There's impulse aggression, or just being hostile for personal reasons. Then there's instrumental aggression, or acting in a planned out, hostile manner for whatever rewards the person sees to be present."

"Rewards?" Naruto crinkles his eyes in a confused glare and tilts his head. "How are there any rewards to being aggressive? It just causes problems."

"Imagine being in class and the teacher says whoever has the best grade will receive a reward at the end of the semester. This would inspire competition and, undoubtedly, planned aggression. To give a more extreme example, someone who is robbing a house and is willing to wave a gun around to get what they want would be acting on instrumental aggression."

"If someone has a gun, isn't that a bit closer to violence than just being an aggressive asshole?"

Sasuke nods. "Hold on, dobe. We'll get there. First, what are the most common forms of aggression?"

Naruto sighs heavily and leans back in his seat, thinking. "I can only think of verbal and physical."

"Add mental and emotional to that. Psychological damage tends to be worse, as it can be an indefinite amount of time before a person recovers from it. The person acting in an aggressive manner might not see it as a problem, leading to serious issues with all relationships in their life."

Shifting uncomfortably, Naruto can't help but think of his own life. He doesn't really blame any of the children from his past for the way they treated him; they were learning from example. From adults. From people who should have known better than to teach impressionable youths to degrade and demean their peers for circumstances they couldn't control. People like that woman a few nights ago, who the blonde hopes to God doesn't have any children learning from her example.

Yeah, Naruto is familiar with psychological aggression.

"Why do people act out aggressively?"

"Because they're assholes." The blonde answers instinctively, still lost in his thoughts of past issues, and newfound ones.

Sasuke ignores him and carries on. "There are many reasons people act aggressively. Perhaps the most commonly noted would be to intimidate and threaten, as well as showing dominance or anger. There's also aggression as a response to fear or pain. And there's instrumental reasons for it, such as competition and achieving goals."

"It pretty much comes down to people being horrible to each other."

"That is basically our society in a nutshell, dobe."

Naruto scowls, not at all pleased with that verdict. "Well, it shouldn't be like that. There needs to be more understanding and less aggression. There's no need for ruining people's day or even worse, they're entire mindset." The blonde's thoughts flash back to that overbearing women and her haughty attack on them. What makes people think they have any right?

Sasuke seems to understand where Naruto's mind has wandered off to, as his gaze softens and he taps his pen on the blonde's notebook, grabbing his attention. "People not minding their own business and being aggressive towards things they don't agree with will never stop, dobe. Whether it's one topic or another, there will always be opposition. You just learn to deal with the opposition for the problems that concern you."

Naruto sighs, knowing the raven is correct, but not liking it. "It's not always easy, though." Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "Learning to deal with people thinking they have any right to what you do with your life. That's never easy."

Sasuke sits up straight again, having got his point across to the boy. "I didn't say it would be. Just that you have to do it in order to move past the negativity. Now," Sasuke returns to work mode, "we can answer the question you hit earlier. When does aggression become violence?"

This question seems easy enough; Naruto thanks his lucky stars for that. "When someone gets really hurt, right?"

Sasuke nods. "All violence is a form of aggression, but not all aggression is violent. Aggression that ends in the harm or death of an individual has moved into violence territory. This would be things like robbery, rape, murder or assault. There are, of course, other violent acts, but that gets the point across."

"I guess I just consider violence to be its own category."

"Some people see it that way. When you consider aggression as just being rude or hostile to someone else, and then you compare it to harm with an intent to kill or torture, it does seem to be in its own league. But nevertheless, it is an extreme form of aggression."

Naruto thinks about that for a second, and then shudders. He can't imagine being violent towards someone to that extent. Sure, he's felt the urge to throw a fist in someone's face on more than one occasion, but never would he want to cause extreme harm to someone. His aggravation never takes him that far.

On impulse, the blonde voices an obscure question to the raven. Really, he's not sure what made him think to ask such a thing. But as he was pondering his view on aggression, his mind flickered over the expression he saw on Sasuke's face as he was talking about acts of violence. Something there strikes a chord in Naruto. Something that makes him think the raven is privy to these sorts of acts.

 _Have you ever been involved in anything violent?_

The question hangs in the air, as neither boy speaks. Naruto is nearly holding his breath as he pensively studies the raven's still features. Sasuke, for his part, is either soaking the question in, or going to flat out refuse to answer it. That wouldn't surprise the blonde; Sasuke rarely answers anything personal that isn't a question for the assignments. Naruto finds himself wishing Kakashi had made a question concerning their personal experience with aggression.

Except, the blonde really wouldn't want to answer any questions on that, either. "Forget it, okay?" Naruto waves his hands in front of him, as if to dispel the words that had been spoken. "I don't know why I asked. It's stupid."

"When I was ten, my family was involved in a murder." Sasuke carefully slides his notebook into his bag as he says this, as if anything but slow and deliberate movements might shatter the very air around them.

"I – what?" Naruto sputters out, not sure how to form a sentence. "What happened?"

"Not now, dobe." Sasuke stands up, pulling his back across his shoulder as he goes. "Are you free Friday night?"

Denying his reflexive urge to push the topic, Naruto takes a deep mental breath and lets the conversation go. He's lucky Sasuke even said as much as he did. "I work till 9, but then I've got nothing."

Sasuke nods in acceptance of this. "Come over to my house after work. We'll do the next assignment then."

"Am I staying the night?" Naruto asks quickly to the retreating figure, hope already swelling inside him.

Sasuke pauses at the door, taking one last, fleeting glance at his companion. For a moment, Naruto is certain he's going to be told no, that he's pushing his luck again with their boundaries and the flow of their not-a-relationship. But at the relaxing of the arch in the raven's brow and the almost imperceptible smile on his lips, the blonde knows he won this time. "Sure, dobe."

A sunny grin breaks out across the blonde's face, who nods and tilts his head in pleased confirmation. "Friday then!" Only two days and an evening he has to get through, and then he can spend another night with _that_ boy. Naruto is almost concerned with himself; since when does he count the days based on who he gets to hang out with? But when a smug voice in his head whispers _since you met him_ , he knows there's really no point in arguing that. His life has revolved around the Uchiha since this project started. Whether it's the assignments, or hanging out on free time, or getting into all sorts of new situations that has him question everything he's known himself to be, it all circles back to one particular stoic raven.

And really, Naruto wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

 **Author's Note :** Hey, ya'll! Sorry for totally not following my promise and delivering the second half the same week as the first. But, I've had a couple changes to my schedule.

Such as, I got a new job about 3 weeks ago! I am now a secretary for a utility company in my town, and I absolutely love my job. So, yay me! I'm also changing my major to Accounting, so that is requiring a bit more of my focus! All in all, I'm pretty happy with the way things are going. I'll try to keep writing in my free time, but it's difficult to find such a thing right now. I'll still do my best, though! I hope you enjoyed the remainder of Ch. 15, and Ch. 16 will be coming... Eventually. :)


	16. Truculent

**Author's Note :** Hey, everyone! If you haven't already, be sure to read the second half of Chapter 15 that I posted! Apparently, I did it in a really confusing way, so I don't think everyone actually got to it. Since that caused so much confusion, I will not be posting like that anymore. I'll either post the whole 10,000-word chapter or none at all (not sure if that's a good thing or not, but I hate to have people miss half a chapter). This is Sasuke's pov, with a bit of Itachi in there as well. I'm really sorry that it took so long to update, and I don't have any long AN to post this time. Just go read.

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 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse. **  
**

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

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 **Chapter 16 – Truculent**

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Sasuke stares at his phone in distaste. That man had just been by to bother him a little over a week ago. What else could he possibly want? The raven crinkles his nose in annoyance; he should just let it go to voicemail. It's not like Itachi has so much to say that it can't be done in a few seconds. Sasuke sighs angrily and snatches up his phone after the fifth ring, pressing the answer button and immediately hating himself for it. He really needs to ignore these calls.

"Little brother, what took you so long to answer?"

"I was busy."

"Oh? Do you have a friend over?" Sasuke's thoughts flash to a small blonde boy at the implications Itachi gives rise to. The young raven clenches his teeth but moves away from the topic without an argument.

"What do you want?" Sasuke listens to the nearly inaudible sigh from his brother. A small surge of smug pride tugs at the raven, pleased he can get under Itachi's skin as well.

"I have a present for you."

"I don't want it."

"It will help you advance with your intended major." Well, that catches Sasuke's attention, though he tries to brush it off.

"And what would that be?"

Itachi chuckles in his infuriating way. "You'll have to come and see me this weekend."

Sasuke closes his eyes and calmly tells himself to just breathe. "Why can't you just send it to me?"

"Sasuke," mock disappointment fills the elder Uchiha's voice, "will it pain you so much to come see me for ten minutes?"

"Pain, no. Annoy, yes."

"Well, that's too bad, little brother. You can have the gift if you come Saturday afternoon to my office. Have a good night, Sasuke." Glaring at the blank screen of his phone, Sasuke drops the item back to the table and sighs harshly. Leave it to his hindrance of a brother to come up with one-sided plans on a weekend that he's invited Naruto over.

The blonde will not enjoy being told to leave early in the morning. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. On the other hand, he certainly does not want to introduce Naruto to his brother. That will be a headache, from both of them. Naruto already knows far too much about his personal life, and Itachi doesn't deserve to know anything past what he gleans from their few encounters. For him to bring Naruto with him on Saturday… Sasuke glares blankly at the table and clenches his jaw. His brother has no right to know anything about that boy.

Honestly, how did it even come to this? Naruto was meant to be a novelty; something different to be entertained with and pass the time. It was never supposed to move so far as going on dates and spending frequent nights together. After the last argument they had about the strict lack of a relationship between them, things have gotten even more lax in hindsight. The blonde has a way of getting what he wants with that attitude and good-natured charisma. But it wasn't supposed to work on Sasuke. It never had before.

 _You were never this close before_ , a traitorous voice whispers to him, causing another deep glower to form on his smooth countenance. He's _not_ close to Naruto in any way, other than physically. They're just having fun. No strings attached; or else Sasuke will cut them away before Naruto can even think about pressing forward and past his boundaries.

No, the issue here is the slow pace of their dynamic. The lack of sexual contact most days makes things seem more… Serious than it is. Not to mention they haven't had true sex yet. Sasuke rolls his eyes. He should have expected that the typically loud blonde would become shy when it's something Sasuke wants to be forward about. The raven has his principles though – he will not push or force Naruto into having sex. Perhaps lead in the right direction, but never order.

The blonde's sexuality is still too fragile, despite how resolved he seems towards handling everything that's thrown at him. Just because Sasuke doesn't want a relationship, doesn't mean he wants to break the boy's confidence or ruin his coming out. He can be an accomplice – a catalyst, even – but he will not be a permanent presence. There's no sense in getting so attached to a person that it pains you to let them go. Only fools fall in love. Uchiha Sasuke may be many things, but a fool will not be one of them.

Naruto's sunny smile and genuinely happy demeanor flash through his mind. A sense of unease swells inside him and he chokes down the tension threatening to break his composure. One of them is going to give. Whether it's Naruto with getting in too deep, or Sasuke having to pull away despite his efforts not to.

Sasuke refuses to dwell on the thought, or why it makes his stomach coil in pangs to consider cutting Naruto out of his life. No, he will not think about such things.

He will not play the fool.

* * *

By the time Friday evening rolls around, Sasuke prepared himself as well as he can for the onslaught of blonde idiocy he knows he'll be receiving. Based on Naruto general habits, he's sure the boy has last week's assignments as well as this weeks to catch up on – and he'll act like Sasuke is breaking his arm by having him do it.

Said boy has yet to call him or arrive for their scheduled meeting. He's either running behind or being distracted. Sasuke's eyes narrow in annoyance. If Midori is interrupting the blonde from leaving, he will be quite irate. He has limited patience with this girl who Naruto seems to be instantly bonding with. Really, how can anyone form attachments so quickly? Despite the common sense and knowing the two are just friends, it does not ease the raven's agitation. He is not going to sink so low as to tell Naruto who he can hang out with, but that doesn't mean he has to like it.

As if somehow sensing he was being thought about, Sasuke's phone lights up with a message. _Last minute rush. Be there in a minute_.

Sasuke rolls his eyes and doesn't even deem the message worthy of response. His nerves ease a bit with the knowledge of Naruto's arrival, and the unwanted jealousy recedes back to a dark corner of the raven's mind. He hates to acknowledge that even a sliver of his thoughts might contain jealous notions over _anyone_. Jealousy is a sign of want and attachment. While the raven is not above admitting he wants Naruto, he will _not_ cast any allusions that he's attached.

The abrupt cut-off of an engine alerts Sasuke from his thoughts. He automatically moves to the front door, pulling it open as the blonde is trudging up the steps, bag in tow.

"Hey, teme!" Naruto exclaims happily, despite the rude term. "Sorry I'm late."

Sasuke moves to the side, letting the boy pass him and into the warmth of the house. "You're always apologizing for that. You should try just being on time."

"Where's the fun in that?" Naruto flashes a cheeky grin, setting his bookbag down beside a chair. He stretches languorously, all taunt limbs and pulled muscles. Sasuke allows himself a discreet sweep of the blonde's body before turning away, taking a seat at the opposite end of the table.

"How much work do you have?" Launching immediately into the task at hand is the easiest way to keep both of them from getting intimate. Sasuke will not be a slave to his desire, no matter how much he craves it.

"I have lots, but you don't have to help." It's apparent the boy is trying to be considerate – a rare notion for Naruto – but Sasuke is having none of it. They need to be occupied for as long as possible.

"We'll do the social assignment first, and then work through everything else."

Naruto huffs, plopping down into the seat. "You're like a personal tutor."

"What do you think I do during lunch break, dobe?" The raven rolls his eyes at the surprise of the blonde.

"Really? You tutor people for free?" The raven can practically see the gears shifting in Naruto's brain, trying to make room for that selfless notion alongside the rest of what he knows about Sasuke.

"Not for free." And now he sees the whole concept crumble; Naruto rolls his eyes and mutters an "of course", while Sasuke can't help a small smirk.

"Why do I get special, free services then?" Naruto asks out of the blue, as if the question just suddenly came into his head.

The raven shrugs lightly, offering a typical, sarcastic answer rather than honesty. "You'd fail your last semester without it." Really, he probably would. But Sasuke isn't so self-absorbed to believe he'll do something out of the goodness of his heart without some benefit. The truth is, he doesn't know why he helps Naruto so much. Perhaps it's because he's so closely working with him this semester, and in turn feels all of his grades should reflect that.

"I'm not gonna complain. My grades have really picked up lately." Another sunny smile gets tossed towards the raven. "Thanks."

There's that uneasy feeling again. Quick and sharp agitation jolts though the ravens stomach. He's growing tired of feeling off due to the blonde. Something must be done or he's going to lose his composure shortly.

"Are you ready to do the assignment, dobe?"

"As much as I ever am."

Sasuke has already looked over the assignment, and he's not too pleased. It's still on the topic of aggression, but its personal responses rather than academic answers. "There are four topics, and we are each to give an example using our own experience. It can be experience as either the aggressor or the aggressed."

Naruto scans the assignment he finally retrieves from his bag, eyes pausing towards the bottom of the page, a frown setting on his lips. "Alright, teme. You first."

Sasuke rolls his eyes but doesn't argue. "Verbal aggression. I do this any time an idiot attempts to speak to me."

"And every other second of the day." Naruto grins wide. "You're verbally aggressive to every person ever."

"Then everyone is an idiot." A statement the raven firmly believes. "Being verbally aggressive is an easy method of getting them to leave you alone."

"Or pissing them off."

"Most people with any shred of common sense quit bothering someone who's being short with them." Not that the raven will ever accuse Naruto of having much in the way of any sense.

"Not anybody with a backbone," Naruto huffs proudly. "I'm gonna be aggressive right back."

One of the things in the past that always peaked Sasuke's interest about the blonde is his determination to put up an argument. Particularly if the other person is being confrontational as well. The ease with which Sasuke could always get a rise from Naruto greatly intrigued and amused him – until it would go so far that the blonde just got annoying. Then Sasuke really would take an attitude.

"We've established that we're both verbally aggressive. Moving on to physically aggressive." Sasuke raises an eyebrow, thinking back to freshman year. He'd had his first – and last – real quarrel with Naruto halfway through the first semester. That was before he became so sunny. Something happened by the end of freshman year to where they are today. The blonde calmed down and lost some of his hostility. But not by that first October. No, he'd been ready to throw a fist at anyone for any reason that semester.

And when Sasuke made some callous, smart retort to the boy upon a brief encounter, a fist came flying at him before he could react. That was the moment he became both intrigued and infuriated with Uzumaki Naruto. Every encounter between them from that point on held some tone of aggression.

Except this semester, where Kakashi seems to be up to something.

"I don't get in too many fights anymore. Not since…" Naruto blushes, sheepish eyes cast downwards and a hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, anyways, I was threatened with being expelled since my admittance to the school was already based on a family favor, and I also calmed down once I became friends with Kiba. That guy really helped me turn my shit around." The blonde shrugs his shoulders, waving off the heaviness in the air. "And you? You piss anybody else off enough to have more fists thrown at you?"

Scoffing under his breath, Sasuke rolls his eyes as he answers. "Only you, dobe, are uncouth enough to do that. I don't purposefully engage in violence or physical aggression of any sort, but I will not stand and tolerate someone thinking they can behave as such towards me."

Naruto nods his head, more to himself than in agreement with the raven. "I was still having a lot of problems back then, you know? I went to a pretty shady elementary and junior high, and was used to throwing a fist or two around. But," the blonde says abruptly, "we'll get into that whole thing later."

Sasuke raises a perfectly sculpted eyebrow but doesn't press. "What's your experience with social aggression?"

Naruto groans, rolling his head backwards dramatically before falling forward again. "Dude, we're in high school. Every day feels like a social aggression experience. But I guess my most recent experience with that would be dealing with Sakura and Ino."

Hearing that atrocious example of a woman being mentioned immediately puts Sasuke on edge. God, he's never disliked someone as vehemently as he does that spoiled brat. 'Has she bothered you recently?"

"Surprisingly, no." Naruto says this in such a chipper tone, it's hard to believe he ever had a crush on the girl. "I think she actually avoids me now. She shares a locker with Ino so she doesn't have to be around me." The blonde shrugs his shoulders. "It's been nice, you know. She was always such a bitch to me."

"And you were an idiot for overlooking it for so long." That situation still drags itself along the raven's nerves when he thinks about it. One of his biggest issues in the past with Naruto was his foolish obsession with a girl not worth anyone's time.

"Thanks for the support, teme." The blonde offers dryly, rolling his eyes in mimic of Sasuke's habit.

The raven is hardly offering any support. He cannot stand the thought of Sakura, and he certainly can't stand the thought of Naruto being with her or having anything to do with her. That _thing_ would find some way to use it against him.

"I get the dislike for Sakura, but Ino's not so bad." What is Naruto defending the other one for? Yes, Sasuke can agree that Ino is not nearly as selfish or annoying as Sakura, and she does often try to reel the pinkette back to reality. But, did she not try to slap Naruto and then guilt trip him into staying away from him? Honestly, he doesn't understand how the blonde boy can be so forgiving.

"They're both annoying. Now, the last experience. Bullying."

Naruto's mouth snaps shut from whatever he was about to say, and his eyes cast downwards to the paper. He reads over the words, as if having to reassure himself this is a true question he has to answer.

"You go first, teme." The blonde shifts in his seat like he's finding it uncomfortable to hold still.

As much as he wants to argue, Sasuke bites his tongue and lets it slide. Judging from the behavior Naruto is displaying, it's like he's had a few experiences relating to this. "No one has ever bullied me. My experiences with you don't count. You weren't purposefully coming after me or making my life difficult. And neither has anyone else."

"Bullying," Naruto says quietly but with enough force it'd be impossible to not listen, "is when someone tries to intimidate, belittle or hurt you for their own pleasure. I would never do that to anyone." Naruto sighs and leans back in his chair, twiddling his pencil between his fingers. 'I had a lot of issues with bullying back in elementary school. Kids are just little assholes, you know? For the most part, it was all verbal bullshit, but as we got older, some of the kids thought they could start throwing punches. So, I threw them back. By the time I got into junior high, I was pretty angry and getting into fights every week. All you had to do was look at me wrong. After I'd gotten suspended for the fourth time in two months, Jiraiya was pretty pissed off with the whole thing.

He told me I needed to chill out, but he also understood what I was going through. That's when he called in the favor to Tsunade, and I came to Kasai the following year." Naruto keeps his eyes on the table as he continues. "Just getting put into a new school doesn't make the hurt go away, so I was still pretty violent. And you seemed determined to push my buttons from day one, and I eventually just snapped."

Trying to process this, the raven quietly studies the boy in front of him. If possible, he looks smaller than ever to Sasuke, as if he's trying to fold in on himself. Sasuke knows the repercussions of bullying – has studied the last effects on the psyche of both the abused and the abuser. A few things about Naruto seem a bit clearer, almost painfully so. If the raven had been more attentive of the boy, he would have quickly noticed the tell-tale signs of a former abuse victim guarding themselves.

Quietly, Sasuke asks the only question he can think of right now. "Did you go to counseling?"

Naruto brightens considerably. "Oh, yeah. After our fight, my options were counseling or being expelled. So, I got sent to the school guidance counselor. Iruka was – and still is – really great. He helped me work through a lot of shit. He's the one who suggested I join a sport or take part in the drama club. I did both."

Upon this past revelation, Sasuke wants to share his own with the blonde. Perhaps the boy would be able to understand without the infuriating sympathy that's always thrown at him when people learn about his parents. But the solitary, confined patterns of his mind refuses to allow him to divulge this much information now.

"I think for the last question we can just answer 'yes'. The above answers should show that." The blonde grins weakly, not able to summon enough energy for his typical countenance.

 _Is aggression damaging to the people involved?_ Yes.

"Dobe, let's get the rest of your work done."

'Awh," Naruto whines instantly, "come on, teme. It can wait."

"No. We're going to be gone all day tomorrow and I know you won't do it on your own Sunday." This effectively shuts down the boy's protests and turns them into questions.

"What are we doing tomorrow?"

"We're going to Seattle."

Naruto has saucers for eyes. "We're going there again? For what?"

"I have to go see my brother." The raven can't let Naruto be privy to his past yet, but he can let him know of the present. Itachi is an annoyance, one that Sasuke personally doesn't want Naruto to meet. There are a magnitude of reasons for that, but it's the only thing he can offer as a return for the insight into the blonde's life.

"You're brother? The one who bought the expensive tickets?"

"Yes."

"Why do you have to visit him?"

"Homework, dobe." Sasuke rolls his eyes at the pout Naruto thinks is going to get his way. How did he manage to get in this situation? He finds himself asking that more and more frequently. Really, he doesn't think there's a solid answer to it. It's just how it goes when you're involved with someone like Naruto.

* * *

The first thing Sasuke notices as he pulls out of the sleep haze enveloping him is the warmth pressed tight to his side. In the chilly morning air, the raven welcomes it. He burrows further into the blankets and closer to the radiating warmth.

A soft moan emits from the personal heater, and Sasuke flicks an eye open to take in the boy cuddled to his hip. Naruto has his head buried firmly into the raven's chest, with one arm supporting his head, and the other tightly wrapped low on Sasuke's waist. As he's slightly disturbed from his sleep, the blonde shifts, pulling himself closer to his human pillow.

Sasuke rolls his eyes, but welcomes the warmth. Languidly, Sasuke drags a hand through the smaller boy's hair, kneading his fingers into Naruto's scalp. The blonde groans softly and tilts his head to the side, allowing better access.

"You're awake." Sasuke softly accuses, though he makes no effort to halt his ministrations.

"Am not." Is the sleepy reply, hardly intelligible as the words are spoken into the raven's chest.

Sasuke ruffles Naruto's hair slightly in an effort to get his attention more focused. "We need to get up, dobe."

The deadweight attached to him makes no move. "Why?"

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke picks back up with the scalp massage. "We're going to Seattle."

At that, Naruto pushes himself up slightly, dislodging the raven's hand. Hooded eyes take in Sasuke's face, searching for some emotion. "You're still going to let me go?"

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "Yes? Why would I have decided otherwise?"

After making an effort to shrug his shoulders, the blonde lets his head fall back to the bed. "You're weird sometimes."

Irritation bubbles in the raven's stomach, an instant scowl forming on his lips. "If you don't want to go – "

Before he can finish his halfhearted dismissal, a warm mouth presses over his own in a chaste, silencing kiss. "That's not what I meant, teme. I just wasn't sure if you'd have second thoughts today."

Sasuke scoffs, rolling his eyes and keeping them on the ceiling. "It wouldn't matter if I did. You wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Probably not." The blonde grunts out as he rolls over and pushes himself off the bed. "Come on, we gotta get ready!"

Where does Naruto even get these random bursts of energy? One minute he's groggy, and the next bouncing about. Tossing his legs over the side of the bed, Sasuke takes a moment to compose himself and become a bit more clear-minded. He is _not_ a morning person. But when he hears his shower turn on and a happy exclamation from Naruto, he lethargically pulls himself up and ambles towards the bathroom, ready to get this day on with.

However, Sasuke is not prepared for the sight before him as he stands in the entrance to the bathroom. That stupidly attractive blonde is in the midst of shimmying his pants off, teasingly shaking his hips along the way. If it can even be counted as teasing; it's not like Naruto is aware he's being watched. But Sasuke can rectify that situation.

He moves forward quietly, only requiring a few steps before his arms can encircle the smaller boy's waist. With a startled jump, Naruto looks over his shoulder to take in his captor before being caught a second time with a kiss.

Sasuke has to reel the onslaught of pride and possession down that ignites rapidly in his stomach. He's not certain when the blonde became accustomed to his sexual advances, but the familiarity that he now shows is welcome. It wasn't too long that all of the raven's attempts to initiate activities were met with trepidation. Somewhere along the way Naruto let go of any qualms he might possess.

All the better.

Sasuke lightly nips at the blonde's bottom lip before ghosting along his jaw and down to his neck. Access to the smooth column is immediately granted as Naruto tilts his head to the side languidly. The raven smirks against the tan skin, thoroughly pleased with the lack of inhibitions.

Deciding to press his luck forward, Sasuke trails a palm along Naruto's ribs, reveling in the sharp intake of breath he pulls from the blonde. He lightly grazes his nails over a hard nipple before teasingly sliding his hand back to rest along the boy's hip.

Naruto growls softly and opens azure eyes to glare at the raven. "Are you going to just tease me all day?" The audacious blonde rolls his hips back against the raven, a small smile playing on his lips.

Sasuke's stomach flips at the implications. Gripping Naruto's hips, the raven drags him backwards and grinds his own awakening erection into Naruto's supple backside. "And how far should I go?"

Rather than waiting for a reply, Sasuke pulls back slightly and runs both hands along the edge of the blonde's boxer briefs. He cuts off any remarks Naruto might make with a rough kiss, swiping his tongue along Naruto's bottom lip before entering the eager mouth. Not having any part of being submissive, the smaller boy massages his tongue along Sasuke's matching his pace and vigor.

Mornings seem to be a splendid time to jump Naruto, Sasuke thinks hazily. His coyness has yet to catch up with his sleep-addled brain. The raven can certainly work with that – though he can't Naruto have too much control.

Throwing the blonde slightly off course, Sasuke pulls the faded red briefs down Naruto's hip, letting them rest along the top of his thighs while leaving him unexposed to Sasuke's prying eyes. For now.

While one hand runs wide circles from Naruto's waist to his hip and then to his amazing ass before restarting the circuit, Sasuke teasingly dips his other palm into the front of those barely-on boxers. He cups the boys rising length before just as quickly removing his hand to trail back to Naruto's waist.

He places a light kiss on the juncture where his neck meets his shoulder, turning devious eyes to watch the blonde. "You never answered me, dobe."

Naruto tilts his head to the side and steals another kiss, while his hand falls on top of Sasuke's. He closes his eyes while guiding him back to his cock. "You never gave me a chance."

Sasuke smirks, languorously stroking his blonde. He works all the way from the tip to the base, keeping a firm and steadily slow pace. Naruto shivers, arching his back and pressing further into the raven's grip. Those tight boxers are in Sasuke way of doing much more; a problem he quickly remedies. He slides his hand from the front of Naruto's hip to the back, gripping the edge of the boxers where he'd dragged them down earlier.

When Naruto realizes that Sasuke wants to remove them fully, he drops a hand of his own to the waist, wiggling his hips to ease them down. Closing his eyes and trying hard to not grind into the blonde, Sasuke nips at Naruto's neck in subtle retaliation.

With all clothing out of the way, Sasuke gradually picks up the pace, enjoying the quick breaths and low moans he's eliciting from the blonde. He occupies his mouth with a teasing and biting trail along Naruto's neck and up his jaw, only pausing to increase the bruise he's formed on the salty skin. That possessive part of himself that he tries to fight down absolutely adores seeing a mark – his mark – anywhere on the blonde.

He won't mention that to Naruto, though.

Sasuke continues a firm pumping motion, focusing on the tip of the blonde's cock as he starts to jerk his hips sporadically. At the first sign that Naruto is about to cum, Sasuke moves his hand around the tip to catch it, a jolt of want coursing through him as the hot fluid hits his cupped palm. He continues to slowly stroke the blonde, letting him ride out the orgasm.

Naruto leans his head against Sasuke's shoulder once more. Lethargically, he drops his back slightly to rest against the raven's chest. He turns a chaste kiss onto Sasuke's neck before pushing forward and turning around. The blonde smiles shyly at his lover, who rolls his eyes at the expression. How can that boy be shy after cumming into Sasuke's hand?

Thinking of which, his attention is pulled to the sticky substance coating his palm. He reaches for a nearby hand towel, removing the evidence of their tryst.

Naruto's eyes follow him as he does so, till they trail back to Sasuke. A sort of haughty determination is held in those blue orbs. "I want your clothes off."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at the demand, remaining in place. "Then take them off, dobe."

Naruto grins and rises to the challenge. He runs his hands along the hem of the raven's shirt, slowly pushing it up while keeping his palms flat on Sasuke's stomach. The raven smirks as he watches the engrossed boy. If you didn't know better, you'd think this is the first time Naruto's seen his bare chest.

Leaning in slightly to catch Naruto's swollen mouth in another kiss, the raven straightens back up and raises his arms, allowing his shirt to be removed and dropped to the floor. All he has left is his boxer briefs, which Naruto hesitantly runs his hands along the top of. They've only had a handful of sexual encounters, Sasuke encounters silently. Rarely are they planned or given this much time to think about it, tending to move in a lust-filled daze.

For once, Sasuke is lost on how to proceed. Does he coax the blonde through, or will speaking break the mood? Does he stay quiet and let Naruto figure this out himself? Fortunately, he doesn't have to ponder for long.

Warm hands trail slowly up along the raven's ribs and back down to his hips. As Naruto's hands settle on the waistband of Sasuke's boxers again, the boy sinks to his knees in front of his surprised lover.

Whether it's the brash, red hue smothering the blonde's cheeks or the way he's lightly nuzzling and kissing the edge of his hip, Sasuke is about to lose his composure. He would like nothing more than to run his hands through that thick, blonde hair and show the little vixen exactly what he does to him.

A hand on each side of Sasuke's hips slowly drags down his last remaining covering, exposing his achingly hard length to blue eyes. Naruto looks up timidly, searching for reassurance. At the subtle nod from Sasuke, he smiles sweetly and wastes no time in engulfing the thick cock with his mouth.

Sasuke breathes in a sharp, surprised hiss of pleasure as he involuntarily jerks into the eager mouth. Hand gripping hair roughly, the raven pulls Naruto back so as to not choke him. The little blonde seems to want no part of that. He immediately surges forward again, smooth and slick lips working his flesh in an amateur yet intoxicating manner. For someone so inexperienced, Naruto knows how to swirl his tongue and move in such a way that makes Sasuke's head spin.

Sasuke drags his hand to the base of a tan neck before weaving his hand into the untamed hair again. He leans forward, placing a hand on the edge of the sink to support himself. Maintaining his balance with a gorgeous blonde between his legs is not the easiest thing.

This must be taken as encouragement. For one moment, Naruto pauses after pulling all the way back from the raven's cock. In his lust-clouded mind, Sasuke initially thinks that he forced too much of himself into the boy's mouth.

That thought is quickly obliterated when Naruto takes the ravens full length into his mouth, popping tightly into the back of his throat.

A moan is pulled from Sasuke as he does his best to keep his hips still. Closing his eyes, the raven massages where he's sure he's been painfully gripping the blonde's hair. Naruto is unfazed. He pulls back once more and resumes his quick, mind-shattering pace.

"Fuck, Naruto," is all the warning Sasuke can give as he closes his eyes and breathes harshly, not bothering to stop the rough thrust of his hips into that eager mouth. He bites his lip to keep from moaning out again as he feels his release spill into Naruto's throat.

The vixen gives one last suck from the base to the tip before letting Sasuke go. Naruto looks up at his lover with a wide smile on his face, utterly pleased with himself. "Was I good, teme?"

Sasuke rolls his eyes, pushing himself straight onto unsteady legs. "Shut up, dobe."

The blonde laughs and uses Sasuke's hips as leverage, pulling himself to his feet. He places a chaste kiss on the raven's mouth before stepping away and into the shower.

Throwing a devilish grin at Sasuke, Naruto motions for him to join. "Come on, teme. We're gonna be late."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. _Only you, Naruto_ , he thinks dryly. Nevertheless, he joins his companion in the small space, ready to move the day on and be over with it. No matter how much he wishes he could simply drag the blonde back into bed with him and ignore the existence of anyone else.

For now, though, he doesn't have to think about it. He can bask in the afterglow of an orgasm for a bit longer, and enjoy the arms that are running over his body. For now, he doesn't have to think. He can just feel.

* * *

"Where in Seattle is your brother's business?" Naruto's question after a shockingly quiet drive pulls Sasuke's attention back into the car, and away from his internal musings. He's been debating on how best to go about this disastrous situation. He doesn't wish to make Naruto uncomfortable or feel like a burden, but he also does not want his brother to know anything about their relationship. There's no way Sasuke can see to win todays activities.

"Corporate Headquarters are out of the main city, almost in a suburb. He has a business center in Seattle as well, where he originally started."

"Which are we going to?"

The raven clenches the steering wheel tightly, agitated just at the thought. "My brother's office is at Corporate."

"I know you told me that your brother is into weapons manufacturing, but what does that really mean?"

Sasuke tosses an irate glare the blondes way, but it holds no infliction. He figures he might as well answer. If he doesn't, Naruto will likely ask Itachi, and that would be worse. "He designs and manufactures custom built weapons and technology. He does not limit himself to a specific weaponry, and has business partners in aeronautics, warfare, and the maritime industry. Most of his contracts are with high-stakes clientele, and he is contractually obligated to keep his affairs private."

If the open-mouthed gape he's getting from Naruto is any suggestion, he was not expecting that answer. "That's, um… Wow. Your brothers not some sort of crazy-scary guy, is he?"

Sasuke smirks against his will, already imagining how the blonde will respond to his brother upon first impression. Many people do get the initial impression that his brother is a sociopath, what with his lack of facial mannerisms upon first meetings. Not to mention that he has eyes like a hitman. But once you get to know him, his passion for what he does and his interests and loyalty to his company and employees startles man. Even Sasuke cannot deny that Itachi cares. He simply believes that sentiment came too late.

"You'll meet him soon enough."

"Not sure I want to anymore." Naruto mutters under his breath, watching the scenery pass through the window.

Sasuke scoffs under his breath, wishing he hadn't agreed to this either. It's too late on his part to be going back, though. The raven turns down a road taking them along the outskirts of the city, towards the edge of the suburb that Uchiha, Inc Headquarters is located. Ever mile closer puts Sasuke more on edge, his agitation rising. His passenger's quiet manner today has been a godsend, as he doesn't doubt he'd unintentionally snap at the blonde. Something about willingly coming to see his brother rakes across every nerve in his body.

He's only been to the headquarters a handful of times since Itachi expanded four years ago. Unsurprisingly, he was dragged out to the place each one of those times. He would have appeared ungrateful and jealous of his brother's success had he not shown up to the yearly company party.

The huge building comes into view as they crest the hill it sits atop. Itachi had been home while doing some of the planning for the headquarters, and he'd gone through many design options. He eventually settled on a classic brick structure with huge glass panels making up large portions of the outer walls.

"This place is hella nice, teme." Naruto leans forward in an effort to take more of the building in. Sasuke won't argue. It _is_ nice. There's a huge manmade pond in the front lawn, surrounded by shrubbery and cattails. A nine-spout fountain is situated in the center of it, jets of water shooting into the air.

A circle drive encompasses that pod, with four turn off points and a main drive to the front doors. This is all mainly for looks, as the valet is the only one who would use the majority of these spots. The actual parking lot is on the side of the building; it's gated and only those with a security pass may enter.

The building itself is a massive three-story, three sectioned structure. The front half sits on top of the hill, but the other two sections are built into the back of the hill. While the foundation and structural pillars are made of thick, brick columns, the walls are floor to ceiling glass. At least the front and back. The middle section is solid glass, reflecting the sky and landscape as they pull up.

The raven ignores the doorman who motions for him to come forward and then stop, continuing to pull forward. He comes to a stop at the end of the lane, turning the engine off with a sigh. "Come on, dobe." As Sasuke steps from his car, he sees the valet patronizingly coming towards him.

"You're meant to stop when the doorman waves you in, _sir_." The title is bit out mockingly, festering irritation in the already cross raven.

Naruto hesitantly steps from the vehicle, casting an anxious glance to Sasuke. The raven raises an eyebrow at the blonde, which seems to slacken some of the concern from his features.

"My car is not to be moved. If I come back to find it is, it'll be your job on the line."

"I'm sorry, sir. But it is policy that all cars are to be parked." The valet is visually incensed at this point, though it does not matter to Sasuke. He's never cared before about making someone angry. He won't start now.

Sasuke ignores the reprimand, stepping past the valet and towards the massive double glass doors. Naruto moves close to the raven, sheepishly turning his eyes to the angry valet.

"Is it okay to do that, teme?"

"I don't care if it is or not."

Naruto scoffs, taking a page from the brooding boys book and rolling his eyes. Otherwise, he follows Sasuke into the building. The raven ignores the receptionist desk as well, heading straight for the elevator. Only Naruto and he settle into the metal box. Sasuke promptly presses to go to the third floor, dreading every advance towards his brother.

Shifting his eyes slightly to the side, he notices the sheer nerves the blonde is exuding. It always throws Sasuke off to see the generally bubbly boy fall into silence. He gives Naruto a quick squeeze of his hand before the elevator doors slide open.

The foyer they step into is silent and nearly empty. This floor is primarily for the top executives, though many of them spend their time in the field, dealing with clients.

The young secretary seated importantly outside of the large glass office looks up as the boys approach her. "May I help you?" She speaks politely, but keeps her expression neutral.

"Tell Itachi that his brother is here." The woman's eyes widen, and she nods quickly, picking up the sleek black phone on her desk and putting through the call.

"Your brother is here to see you, sir." Her eyes glance up nervously to meet Sasuke's cold glare, before dropping back down hurriedly. "He said it's fine for you to go in."

The raven scoffs. It damn well better be. He's the one who dragged Sasuke two hours out on a Saturday.

Naruto shifts uncomfortably from one foot to the other, casting a doubtful glance towards the office doors. "Are you sure it's okay –"

"It's fine, dobe. Come on." Sasuke pauses at the door, waiting for the blonde to uproot himself.

Cool air wafts into the foyer as the office door is pushed open, prickling Sasuke's skin with goosebumps. Itachi's office is the same as always. Bright, white, and meticulous. The man himself is sitting behind a modern, black desk. A spot of darkness in the otherwise glowing room.

Itachi looks up, his gaze sliding from Sasuke to the unknown blonde nervously trailing behind him. A spark of curiosity settles in the older Uchiha's eyes, though it's quickly overshadowed by his impassive mask. "You didn't tell me you'd be bringing a guest, Sasuke."

"I felt no need to inform you." Sasuke does his best to remain as blank as his brother, but he can't deny the urge to comfort Naruto. It's not like the blonde knew exactly what he was getting himself into by coming along. The smaller boy stays a couple steps behind Sasuke, curiously looking about the office when he's not glancing between the strikingly similar brothers.

"Are you going to introduce us?" Perhaps it's the raised eyebrow, or maybe the haughty tone he speaks in, but Sasuke can feel his belligerence on the rise.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto." The blonde pipes up for the first time since he entered the room. At the sharp glare Sasuke sends him, Naruto blushes and smiles sheepishly. "It's nice to meet you."

Itachi smiles. He actually smiles. Sasuke wouldn't have believed it, had he not been standing here watching. "The pleasure is mine, Naruto. I so rarely see my brother with company."

"Well, that's because he's so unapproachable and doesn't tolerate many people." Naruto shrugs his shoulders like this is common knowledge. Perhaps it is.

"He seems to tolerate you just fine."

"I am right here." Sasuke cuts in, annoyed at this conversation.

"I grow on people." Naruto offers in response to Itachi, ignoring the younger raven entirely.

"Like a fungus." Sasuke turns the Uchiha glare onto the loudmouth, though it doesn't really work on him anymore. The point is conveyed though. "Be quiet, dobe."

Naruto sighs loudly and scowls momentarily, but with his nerves dispelled, he's in full curiosity mode. He steps towards the window, rapt attention on the plants lining the wall.

Both brothers follow his steps visually, attentive for different reasons. Sasuke is beginning to wonder if bringing the idiot was a good idea. For some reason, he hadn't factored his general friendliness and good-nature into the scenario.

Itachi, the younger brother muses irately, is likely interested in Naruto as this is the first person he's ever seen Sasuke in the company of. He will not be leaving them in the company of each other without his supervision. Who knows what sort of things Naruto would let out?

"What do you want to give me?" Sasuke cuts straight to the chase. The idea of staying here for much longer is not appealing. He's already forcing down a great deal of irritation, and the longer he has to be near his sibling, the more it's going to rise up.

Itachi turns his inquisitive attention back to Sasuke. "You have no patience, brother."

Naruto snorts in amused agreement, nodding his head but otherwise remaining quiet.

"Itachi," managing to keep his voice civil and not lash out is quite the task for the young raven. "Naruto and I have plans today. You're holding us up."

"Well, I would hate to hinder your date." Itachi smiles wanly, taking obvious pleasure in the tick he's causing in his brother. He slides back in his chair and pulls open the top drawer of his desk. Taken from its perch on top of stacked documents is a rather large, red book. He offers said book to Sasuke. "As promised."

The younger brother eyes it disbelievingly. "You had me come two hours for a book?"

"Oh," Itachi starts with sympathetic curiosity, "but I thought you already had plans with Naruto in Seattle?"

Sasuke closes his eyes momentarily and resists pinching the bridge of his nose. Why does this man insist on finding any and every button he has, and pounding the hell out of it?

"We do. But you could have just instructed me to buy it."

"This is an original copy with interesting comments in the margin."

Sasuke rolls his eyes but steps forward to take the book. Once he has it in his grasp, he steps back again, angled towards the blonde. "Naruto, we're leaving."

"Already?" The blonde straightens up from his bent position, admiring the leaves of a calathea. "We just got here."

"And we're going to leave now. I have what I came for."

The blonde anxiously turns to Itachi, almost apologetic. "Thank you for having us."

"You don't have to be polite to him, dobe." Sasuke holds the door open for the boy, who promptly steps through into the foyer.

"He works with weapons, teme. I'm not gonna be rude." Naruto casts a quick, sunny smile back to Itachi and a wave before Sasuke lets the door fall closed. He can already imagine the questions his brother will ask on their next visit. For now, all he can do is get out of there.

* * *

A new, enticing situation has occurred. His introverted, reclusive, and truculent little brother has chosen someone to be at his side. This most unprecedented turn of events has garnered Itachi's full attention.

The boy in question is not the type that Itachi would have expected Sasuke to gain an interest in, either. He's the exact opposite of the sullen raven. He's sunshine personified. Bright blonde hair, glowing tan skin, and shining blue eyes. His personality – the small glimpse Itachi managed to see in the short visit – is a direct match. You can tell when someone has a genuinely good soul, and Uzumaki Naruto is in that category. How he came to be attached to the grim and morose Sasuke, the elder Uchiha has no idea.

But he'll find out.

Fortunately for Itachi, he had made a fine acquaintance of one of Kasai's best teachers. A teacher that he keeps in touch with, to his great delight. He finds the name quickly in his contact list, hitting dial and preparing for the wait.

It only rings twice before a familiar voice picks up. "Maa, to what do I owe this pleasure, Itachi?"

A smile tugs at Itachi's mouth, a warm fondness coloring his voice. "Hello, Kakashi. It's been awhile."

"It has. How is the business?"

"Very well, thank you."

"I suppose you have a reason for calling?"

"I do. There has been an interesting development in my brother's life. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

Kakashi chuckle's lowly before replying. "If you're talking about Naruto being attached to his hip, then yes."

Marvelous. That is just the answer Itachi was searching for. "How long has this development been about?"

"Mmh, since the beginning of the semester, when I forced them together."

"How did you manage that?"

"They have a Social Psychology project together."

"And they are… Close?"

Kakashi laughs outright. "You can say that. From what I hear, they frequently spend time together outside of doing assignments."

Itachi leans back, thoroughly pleased with this news. "I have no idea how you managed this, but thank you. The care I saw my brother show that boy is a side I have not seen in nearing a decade."

Kakashi's tone turns somber as they approach that issue. "Sasuke is learning to let someone in. It's been a slow process, and he's still not there, but he's doing better."

That Sasuke brought Naruto with him to the office is a testament of how far he's in with the blonde.

"I implore you to continue your strategy, and I will be designing one of my own."

"Maa, I look forward to the fruits of our labor."

Itachi laughs and says his goodbyes, already scheming on how to further his brother's affairs. Sasuke may use words such as 'nuisance', meddlesome', or 'conniving', but Itachi sees it as investing in his brother's future. A mission he has been on since the child was born.

* * *

The walk back to the car is a far cry from how peaceful it was going in. After meeting Sasuke's brother, Naruto's nerves dissolve. His usual personality is allowed to come through. Sasuke rolls his eyes at the excitement the blonde is showing. It's just a building full of offices. Yes, there are infographics and other posters every now and then on different weaponry, but it's not worth this level of awe.

His car is still parked outside the main doors, thankfully for the valet. The young boy refuses to so much as glance towards Sasuke as he comes out of the doors, though Naruto casually waves goodbye at him.

"Are we really gonna spend time in Seattle, teme?" Naruto sends a hopeful glance the ravens way. "Can we explore?"

The answer on the tip of Sasuke's tongue is a resounding no. He's already dealt with one headache today. He does _not_ need another. There is nothing worth Sasuke's attention in this city, and thus not worth his time. Then again, if the raven humors Naruto and lets him have free run, maybe he'll calm down for a while. Slim chance, but possible. He might save himself several headaches by just a single day out.

Sasuke concedes, solely in the hopes of making Naruto quiet. "Yeah, dobe."

"Awesome!" The blonde shines a smile bright enough to blind. How do I even get myself into these things, Sasuke thinks dolefully. His growing complacency with having Naruto around is unnerving. It's not an attachment, so much as an addiction. He's been offered a few hits of the bottled sunshine, but never fully had him. Sasuke is positive that once he has Naruto as he wants him, it will leave his system. Things will go back to normal, and he won't be so hung up on the little idiot.

And if not…

Well. Sasuke does not foresee that as a possibility, and will not dwell on it. Naruto will be out of his system soon. One way or another.

For now, Sasuke needs to focus on their current activities. He starts a trek into the busy city, searching for a decent place to park that's in the city center that's alive and well this Saturday. It's full of the typical traffic and open shops that thrive in downtown Seattle. Hordes of people have been drawn to the streets, happy to be out for a nice weekend. The weather is perfect for a weekend stroll, and it's not too cold. A welcome breeze ruffles the warmth of the day, making a sweater almost necessary. Luckily for Sasuke, he thinks ahead. While he didn't plan to go into the city today, it occurred to him that something might happen to do so. He had Naruto bring an ungodly orange hoodie with black paneling that he'd packed, and Sasuke tossed a navy-blue cardigan over his gray shirt.

"Are you ready, dobe?" Sasuke parks and shuts off the car, turning his attention to his passenger. Naruto nods quickly, already having clicked off his seatbelt and moving for the door handle.

With a sigh, the raven pushes open his own door and steps onto the busy side street, already regretting this decision. Hopefully Naruto won't want to run around for too long. Or he'll lose interest rapidly.

An hour later, Sasuke finds that there is no such luck in that wish. With each shop that they pass, the blonde grows more enquiring. It seems there is something in every shop that can grab his attention, and he has to stop and check out the displays.

It's at one such display that Naruto's overjoyed reaction draws Sasuke's attention. Raising an eyebrow, he looks at what made Naruto ooh and awe in such favor. Sitting on top of a glass display case pushed in front of the window is a unique plush toy. Sasuke's not even sure what to call it. It's a fox, that much is certain. But it has nine tails twirling up behind its body, four on either side, leading to the middle. It's a deep orange with red eyes, and it's totally captivated Naruto.

Sasuke can't resist the small smile that tugs at the corners of his mouth. The stupid blonde is just too adorable for his own good. Rolling his eyes, the raven opens the door to the crafts and design store. "Come on, dobe. We'll see what they have."

Naruto's eyes light up at the permission to do more than look from the outside in. He bounces eagerly into the store, eyes roaming every corner. Sasuke steps in behind him and observes the boy happily marveling at all he sees. It really doesn't take much to raise excitement in that one. He's almost akin to a two-year old in that respect – a thought he frequently harbors. Sasuke's focus falls on the unique plush animal toy that originally caught Naruto's attention. It figures that he would adore something like that.

Narrow eyes fall the blonde's movements to the back of the store, where Naruto disappears behind racks and displays. Given the opportunity, Sasuke moves towards the cashier's counter. The young man behind the counter smiles warmly as he approaches, though it does nothing to inspire a similar expression on Sasuke.

The aloof raven nods towards the display window purposefully. "I would like to place an order for one of those."

The cashier – James, by his nametag pinned neatly to his shirt – looks to where he motions, eyes sparking in recognition. "Oh, the Kyuubi plush?" At the nod of approval from Sasuke, James begins pressing options on the touch computer. They go through the general information exchange quickly, until they get to the address screen.

Sasuke pauses; a quick glance Naruto's way reveals the boy is still engrossed in some display. Without looking away, he recites the blonde's address to him, finalizing the order.

"Thank you very much, sir. That should be delivered in a max of two weeks." The cashier brightly informs him with a smile, showing perfect – and wasted – customer service skills. Sasuke gives him a final nod before walking towards his companion, ready to leave after fulfilling his purpose.

"Dobe." Sasuke speaks quietly as he approaches so as to not startle the boy. Not that it does much good. Naruto jumps in surprise and quickly turns to the raven.

"Teme! Don't sneak around like that, you know!" Naruto blushes for no apparent reason and fidgets nervously, casting anxious eyes Sasuke's way.

Well, his attention is caught at this point. He raises an eyebrow and looks around for anything out of place. "Did you break something?"

Naruto grumbles as he sidesteps the raven, moving to the front of the store. He grabs a drawing pad on the way up, placing it on the counter with a sharp look towards Sasuke. To his credit, Sasuke simple rolls his eyes and walks to the front of the store, taking in random displays as he goes. He's in the middle of studying a strange, Egyptian-style vase when Naruto comes up to him.

"You ready, teme?" Sasuke looks up and nods at the inquisitive blonde, following him to the door. Naruto waves enthusiastically at James as he wishes them a good day, and then they're back on the street.

Sasuke's watches as flocks of people crowd the streets in all directions, suddenly missing the calm environment of the store. "Where to now, dobe?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto moves without rhyme or reason down the street, eager to see what else he might uncover in the hidden treasure chest of Seattle's downtown center. Following in step affably enough, Sasuke lets the boy continue his hunt, though the ravens not sure what they're even after. Knowing Naruto, he probably has no idea either. Likely nothing and just aimless curiosity guiding him.

He listens vaguely as the blonde gushes over window displays, excitedly pointing out the ones that truly catch his eye before moving on to the next. How can one person be so easily thrilled with something as simple as window shopping? Naruto is fully enraptured in his current quest of looking into as many shops as possible, not seeming to take any notice of the world around him, save Sasuke.

They continue like this for another hour or so, circling around a large portion of the downtown district full of shops and restaurants before Naruto points to the glass doors of a modern café. "Hey, teme, can we try this place?"

Sasuke's not sure what about this restaurant caught Naruto's eye, being largely unassuming on a street full of flashy signs marking diners and café's. Not that the raven cares. He shrugs his shoulders in approval – or at least, the lack of an argument – and follows Naruto into the cool café, welcoming the rush of air after all that pointless wandering about. It dawns on him that he's spent the entire afternoon catering to Naruto's whims, following in his line of interest with little to no complains.

He wants to be annoyed that he would allow himself to be dragged about like this, but it doesn't come. Being in Naruto's presence does not irritate him the way other people do. _That_ annoys Sasuke, though it's an anger he directs at himself. The disgusting word _attachment_ flashes through his mind, instantaneously causing his eyes to narrow in a grimace.

No, it's nothing that deep. He just had nothing better to do today, and this outing kept the blonde fairly quiet and controlled. There was fully an ulterior motive for his complacency with the day's activities.

"Did you have fun today, teme?" Naruto asks once seated, glancing between the menu and the raven. "It wasn't too bothersome, was it?" He smiles coyly, quickly adding, "I had a lot of fun. I've always wanted to explore bits of Seattle."

Sasuke's initial response of apathy is quelled with that second statement, stomping the retort down before it can get past the raven's lips. Instead, he nods and quietly reassures the blonde that it was a decent day. Seriously, how does he manage to fall into these things?

 _Attachment_. The word whispers through his mind, twisting his stomach up before he can push it away. No. He will not think about that. Instead, he focuses on the menu, drawing his attention to something that can be easily dealt with.

They spend the rest of the meal exchanging casual banter as Naruto praises the many shops they peeked into, and gushes about the items he liked. Sasuke listens half-heartedly, but mostly he watches.

Watches the way Naruto's eyes light up when he speaks of an interest, or the way his mouth quirks up a bit more on one side when he's talking about something that amused him, or the way he twirls his hands about to aid in his storytelling. Sasuke watches, and he grows perturbed at each passing pang of affection that strikes.

Doing his best to keep up appearances and ignore any such feeling, Sasuke continues their afternoon as if nothing is wrong. Even after they leave the restaurant, even as they travel back towards the car, taking in more shops that Naruto missed on the way. Because nothing is wrong, he assures himself. This is just a passing thing. A fleeting construct of lust. It means nothing.

"Hey, hey, Sas. Take a picture with me!" Sasuke turns, jolted out of his thoughts and incredulous that he heard right. Of course, Naruto is an idiot, but is he really so stupid that he would ask that?

"Dobe." The raven states flatly, not gracing him with a direct answer as he starts to walk again.

"Please?" Naruto doesn't give up. "I want something to remember today with. Just one selfie, you know?" The blonde pouts, hooking an arm around Sasuke's waist. "Please?" He begs one more time, throwing puppy dog eyes up at the stoic raven.

Sasuke sighs exasperatedly. It should be illegal for anyone to be able to pout like that. That little blonde brat could get away with murder. He reaches into his pocket, pulling out his phone. If it will get him to shut up and leave him alone, then fine. "This is the last thing you can ask for tonight."

"Yeah!" Naruto grins and let's go of Sasuke's waist. The raven scoffs but proceeds to open his front-facing camera, taking in a partial shot of himself with an exuberant blonde behind him, throwing up a peace sign with his tongue out. Sasuke rolls his eyes and points back at the idiot. Snapping the photo, the raven glances at it quickly to see if it was good, pleased that it is. He won't have to take another.

Naruto bounds up to his side, looking at the picture with glee. "Send it to me, teme!"

Sasuke shoots an empty glare at the blonde, but does as requested. "Let's go home now, dobe."

"Okay." Naruto agrees amiably enough, holding true to his word and not pushing for anything more. He turns a bright, sunny smile towards Sasuke, looking sincerely pleased. "Thank you for today. All of it."

Any retort dies in the raven's throat at the innocent earnestness to those words. Not able to lay a grasp on any response, Sasuke simply nods in acknowledgment. It might be his imagination, but it feels like his heartbeat has sped up, and that strange coil in his stomach has tightened further.

He clamps his jaw tight, unwilling to accept any of this further. No. That will not be done. The only tightness he wants to feel in his stomach concerning Naruto is lust, nothing else. He breathes in a deep breath before stepping foot into his car, not sure what to expect on the car ride back home.


	17. Midterms

**Author's Note :** There will be no AN's today. However, I am posting a bit of a blurb on my profile, if you'd like to have a bit of insight into this story.

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 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse.

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

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 **Chapter 17 – Midterms**

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Naruto fidgets anxiously, casting quick darts of attention to the boy walking in front of him. He did something stupid today. Something that, if he gathers up the courage, is just going to get worse. In all reality, he should put a stop to it now. Sure, he bought the thing, but there's no law saying you have to give a gift just because you already got it.

Right?

It really shouldn't be too much of an issue to give the guy a present. Had Sasuke not bought the herbs and pots for him their first time out? A tiny thing that fits in the palm of your hands should hardly be an issue.

"Dobe, are you staying the night or going home?" An irate raven is staring at the distracted blonde, a pale hand wrapped around the doorknob to the Uchiha residence.

Naruto looks up from his musings, blinking owlishly as he takes in the question. "I actually get a choice?"

"I didn't ask just to waste my time." Sasuke rolls his eyes, a scowl already forming. Before he can open his mouth to take the offer back, the blonde quickly interrupts.

"Staying!" He smiles widely, pleased to see the hard expression melt away into a lax, neutral one.

"Fine." He twists the handle and pushes the door open, talking over his shoulder. "We have more homework to catch you up on."

"Sasuke." Naruto whines, grudgingly coming up behind. "I don't wanna. We already did a shit ton of work last night."

"And it barely got you to current."

The blonde groans, knowing he's not going to win this argument. This is his punishment for getting involved with Sasuke. If only he wasn't one of the top students at Kasai.

"Alright. I won't argue. But," Naruto holds up a finger, "I choose which assignments really need done."

Sasuke rolls his eyes but doesn't disagree. "And what would that be, dobe?"

"None of them." The blonde smiles cheekily, bouncing right past Sasuke and into the dining room, heading for the kitchen.

"We're doing all of them, after dinner."

Naruto laughs richly, smiling over his shoulder to the raven barely paying attention to him. "We'll see."

Sasuke quietly stays at the dining table while Naruto bustles around the kitchen, already at home in the large space. The blonde sneaks a glance into the adjoining room to see the raven with that red book in his hands, studiously going at it.

The inconspicuous book makes him think back to the brother he met today. Itachi wasn't half as terrifying as Naruto was expecting. In fact, he probably could have had a decent conversation with the man, if not for Sasuke interrupting. That teme was determined to keep the talking to a minimum.

The biggest surprise though, was how similar in appearance the brothers are. Whatever Naruto was expecting, it wasn't a mirror image. It's scary how alike they resemble each other. Their personalities are entirely different, though, so that counts for something.

"Hey, Sasuke, why don't you like to hang out with your brother? He seems cool to me." Naruto continues his food prep as he waits for an answer, focusing on carefully dicing only the vegetables, and not his fingers.

"Because you don't know him."

Naruto rolls his eyes and sends a glare off towards the dining room before returning to his task. "And who's fault is that?" It's not like the blonde hasn't tried asking about the man. Sasuke just shuts him down immediately when the topic is broached. "He really doesn't seem like a bad person."

"Dobe," Naruto hears Sasuke sigh exasperatedly. "Leave it. The part of my life that involves you and the part that involves him are going to remain separate."

A pang of grief runs through Naruto's body, clenching everything up for a heart-stopping, panicked moment. He wasn't expecting Sasuke to say anything like that, much less prepared for the physical response that would follow such words. Forcing himself to breathe past the lump in his throat and carry on, Naruto falls silent.

Why is he so surprised? Naruto scoffs quietly to himself, trying to shake it off. Sasuke never said anything about being out to his family. Hell, Naruto's not even out to Jiraiya. Is this really so different?

 _Yes_ , Naruto's mind whispers sulkily, _because if he wanted to meet Jiraiya and know about him, you wouldn't hesitate._

Naruto grimaces, wishing away the thoughts and the statement that brought them about. Instead, his mind drifts to the subtle presence in his front pocket, as if to further prove that it was a mistake to buy such a thing for the Uchiha. What even was the point? The motivation?

Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto sees a slight movement, and then a figure in the archway to the kitchen. The blonde refuses to look up even as he's spoken to. "What are you making?"

Naruto shrugs. "You had the stuff to make fajitas." He does his best to continue ignoring Sasuke, but the boy has such a dominating presence, it's difficult not to naturally draw his eyes to the brooding figure.

"Dobe."

With great effort, Naruto studiously ignores the insulting pet name, opting instead to move all the diced vegetables into a skillet along with the sizzling beef.

Sasuke pushes away from the doorframe, coming to lean against the island counter and watch Naruto's movements. "Naruto, look at me."

The blonde sighs in annoyance, setting aside his current task and turning around partially to face the raven. "What?" His eyes reach Sasuke's, causing his stomach to do another flop.

"I only meant that my brother does not get to be privy to my personal affairs. I don't like him to know about my life. I didn't mean that you're a secret."

Naruto sniffs dramatically. "You could have said it like that in the first place." He hates to admit it, but the moment Sasuke came over and made the effort to clear things up, the blonde had already forgiven him.

Giving a signature eyeroll, Sasuke reaches a hand out to wrap around the blonde's waist, pulling him away from the stove and into an embrace.

"Teme," Naruto reproaches, "the food's gonna burn."

"I don't care." Proving his point, Sasuke trails his grip down the blonde's sides, casually running a path up and down while he leans in to nip at Naruto's neck.

The blonde grins and gives in without a fight, leaning back so he catches the raven's lips in a kiss. Alright, so, maybe Sasuke isn't quite so hard to deal with as he leads himself to believe, Naruto thinks smugly. After all, he does seem to be into a bit of affectionate gratification.

This simple thought decides it for the blonde. He pulls back, reaching a hand down to the front pocket of his jeans. "Hey, teme, I have something for you." He wraps his hand around the thin chain, pulling the small present into the open.

He dangles the imperfectly-cut, black quartz crystal in between them, watching it as it lazily spins at the end of the chain. He could have chosen one of the smooth, finely pointed crystals. But that just didn't fit Sasuke. And then his attention fell on the one behind it. No larger than the inside of his palm, the obsidian jewel has chipped and jagged edges, while others are in pristine condition. One side of the bottom tip is hewed, while the other four are clean and even.

"It's smooth in some places, and rough in others. But the whole thing is gorgeous, and the flaws are easily overlooked due to that. It reminds me of you." Naruto looks up from the crystal in his palm, smiling lightly at Sasuke. "You're pretty rough to get to know, because you don't want people to see the things you try to hide. But you're also pretty smooth in how you manage to get things done, and I'd be lying if I said you weren't the best thing I've ever laid eyes on."

The blonde flashes an impish grin that turns into a laugh at the rolls of eyes Sasuke shoots him. "Anyways, this is a gift for you, okay?" Naruto dangles the necklace in front of the raven, who watches it swing for a moment before softly wrapping his fingers around the slender crystal. "I don't expect you to wear it or anything." Naruto shrugs his shoulders. "I just couldn't help buying it for you."

As Sasuke continues to stare down at the gem, the blonde's nerves get the better of him as he watches the emotions – or lack thereof – on the boy's face. This was obviously a mistake, as he knew it would be. Why does he have such a knack for doing things that will push the skittish raven into a fight or flight mode?

Naruto makes to take the necklace back, but Sasuke pulls his hand away, sliding the necklace into his pocket. "Finish cooking, dobe, or it's going to burn."

With a half-hearted glare, Naruto turns back to his food. "That didn't bother you earlier." He grumbles under his breath, narrowing his eyes at the smug boy standing next to the island.

No matter how often he thinks about it, he cannot wrap his head around the situation they've found themselves in. Sure, he gets the friends-with-benefits concept – that's easy enough. And he gets that maybe he did always have a hidden sexual tendency towards men – the only girl he ever liked was obviously never going to return the sentiment, and some part of Naruto knew that. But how did it manage to be Sasuke that brings this all out? He's the last person anyone would have expected to pull all Naruto's secret desires out. Well, okay, the pretentious bastard has a fan-club that would beg to differ, but still. It's the Uchiha Brat. Why does he have to be sexually attracted to _him_?

And that is all Naruto wants to admit it is. Sexual desires. Because anything more than that will get him hurt – something he told Sasuke not to concern himself with, but is becoming increasingly more likely to take place.

Of course, he likes the teme. That's obvious. But it doesn't have to be more than that, right?

Right, he confirms to himself with a quick nod of his head. He's just letting things get a little crazy. Hormones are a hell of a thing. Maybe if they just go ahead and –

Naruto cuts himself off mid-thought with a blush and a skittish glance towards the raven, who's made his way back to the dining room. Oh, no. He's not going there. That line of thought will lead to dangerous things. The blonde hasn't even decided yet if he really does want to go all the way with this, let alone suddenly start thinking it might be the best option to just 'get it out of his system'.

Then again, they've come this far. What would it really hurt if they did have sex? I mean, it's gonna happen sometime another, whether with Sasuke or someone else. And he does _like_ Sasuke, so it's not like there's nothing there…

Oh lord, what is he getting himself into?

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* * *

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The rest of the weekend passed in a blur of lazing about Sasuke's house until the raven finally sent Naruto on his way, where he just changed to lazing about his own house. It was one of the rare weekends where he didn't work, and so had nothing to do – not even any homework, as Sasuke had forced him to finish all that nonsense on Friday.

After the joy of a chill weekend, the blonde was not prepared for going back to the daily routine of school. Which is why he currently finds himself sitting in his jeep thirty minutes before the first bell, fighting to pull himself from his seat.

Monday's are truly the worst.

What he'd really like to be doing right now is curled up in his bed, snuggled underneath lots of blankets and not a care in the world. A certain raven-haired boy could also be tossed into that equation as a nice addition to the fantasy. Being wrapped around Sasuke is undeniably becoming a favorite pastime of the blondes, or having his mouth wrapped around a certain anatomy…

A sharp tap on his window startles him, causing him to involuntarily jump and blush at his train of thought, as if it had been broadcasted for the world to see. He quickly tilts his head to see who'd be bothering him instead of heading off to class, only to be greeted with a glare by the very boy he had been daydreaming about.

Hesitating, Naruto rolls down the window, dropping his gaze embarrassedly to his lap. He berates himself for being nervous – he was only thinking about the very things they've already done together. Truth or not, it doesn't help the blonde to calm down.

"What's up?" He mumbles out quickly, still not wanting to look directly up at him.

He can hear the impatience in the raven's voice, though it no longer frustrates him as it did before. Sasuke always has a tone like you're wasting his time, no matter the situation. Naruto finally came to the conclusion that it stems from being so proud and no longer lets it get to him – well, usually, anyways. "Are you coming in?"

Risking the bright blush on his cheeks being seen, Naruto peeks up at his friend, taking in the boy once more. Maybe it's due to the unexpectedly chilly morning, but Sasuke has a hazy flush gracing his cheeks, making him look even paler than usual, almost ethereal in the snow-white tone overshadowed with red. The black of his coat only furthers the contrast. Naruto stares for a moment before replying, much to his discomfiture. "I was planning on it."

"Then let's go." Without waiting for Naruto to respond, Sasuke steps away from the jeep and continues his trek to the main doors, albeit a bit slow and obviously giving the blonde time to catch up with him.

Naruto rolls the window back up and shuts the jeep off before stepping out into the chilly March air, doing a short jog to catch up to the impatient Uchiha. "Why are you here late?"

Sasuke scowls and replies tightly. "I slept late."

"Damn, didn't know you could even do that." Naruto cracks a small grin, tilting his head towards the raven in time to catch a familiar eye-roll.

"Finals are this week." Sasuke looks straight ahead as he says this, but when Naruto glances over, he can see the tension in the boy's face.

"Yeah, so?" Naruto squints and raises an eyebrow at the statement, not really sure where Sasuke is going with this.

Sasuke gives a small huff of annoyance before turning a glare on the boy. "I was reviewing all night."

Naruto barks out a surprised laugh, shaking his head. "You stayed up all night to study for something you're definitely going to pass?"

"While I do have confidence in my intelligence, there is no guarantee that I will pass with full marks in my class."

Naruto groans, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Teme, you don't have to pass with full marks. Just a passing grade."

Sasuke looks damn near disgusted with the blonde when he turns an offended glare onto him this time. "Do you not know me at all by now?"

 _Touché,_ Naruto thinks with a grin. In some ways, he doesn't know the first thing about the raven. And in other ways, Naruto knows all he needs to. It's a fine line he's been walking for a few months now, and one he'll be happy to keep following.

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* * *

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Social Psychology as a lecture rather than a questionnaire does not seem to be in the cards. Of course, this being taught by Kakashi-sensei should have been the first give-away; the man seldom does lectures in any of his classes, leaving the students with the ability to work things out for themselves and ask questions if they need to.

After everyone begrudgingly shuffles into the last class of the day that usually is not required participation, Kakashi launches into the discussion – or better phrased, interrogation.

"So, what have you learned over the last two months?" Kakashi-sensei's eyes scan the room, hunting for any student foolish enough to meet his gaze. When no one offers an answer, he sighs histrionically and picks up the attendance sheet. "Alright, we'll do this the hard way."

He looks the list over for his first victim and impassively calls out a name. "Ita Naio, what is the definition of social psychology?"

A shy blonde girl in the back of the class looks up discreetly, answering the question quickly and quietly, so as to get it over with and move on. "It's the study of social norms and cultures and how it affects us on a mental level."

Kakashi nods slightly. "Why is this topic important?" He looks the paper over again. "Fukui Haru."

"Um, because it helps us understand how society impacts our thoughts, actions, and beliefs."

And so on it goes. Kakashi asks a question, and whichever unlucky student he calls on drones out an answer. Sometimes the questions turn into a debate, but usually it's fairly straight-forward. Naruto's attention comes and goes, only focusing in when Kakashi calls on him or someone close to him speaks. Particularly when the raven sitting behind him gives a straight-to-the-point answer or piece of his opinion.

In the past, it would have ticked Naruto off to listen to Sasuke answer anything, no matter what his reply might be. The simple fact that _he_ spoke would be enough. That's all it took to get the blonde going.

But now? Now he hangs on to every word that slides from the raven's mouth, turning it over in his mind and adding it to the bits and pieces of things that he knows about Uchiha Sasuke. Which, admittedly, is quite a bit at this point. More than he ever thought he'd know about the boy.

Sasuke spends far too much time studying – and forcing people in his company to study as well. Not only is he naturally gifted in the way of academics, but he also applies himself to each of his classes. He tends to overdo things, but he sees it as exceeding expectations and not overkill.

He loves coffee, dislikes sweets, and lives for Italian food. He doesn't like any carbonated drinks except for lime-flavors, and will always choose water when given the choice. His favorite color is navy blue, but he prefers black since it matches anything – particularly more black. There's a piano sitting in a back room at his house that he can play fluently, though he's only let Naruto listen to him play once – this last weekend, actually.

He'll read any book you put in front of him, but he'd prefer it to be a "classic". Not that Naruto has any idea what constitutes a classic, other than all that boring stuff from Literature class. He has a surprisingly eclectic taste in music, but sticks primarily to indie and classic rock, especially the British sort. He's good at sports but couldn't care less, only being on the baseball team to further his high school resume.

And those are just the little, everyday things that Naruto has picked up or gleaned from their time together. There are more important things he knows – things he's learned from this Social Psychology project – but the small things are what make Sasuke. Not his religion, or political stance, or his ethnic background. It's the things that form his habits and opinions and make him have that damn-quick and bitingly snarky attitude that used to piss Naruto off, but now makes him grin and want to kiss the bastard.

Somewhere along the way from the day this project started to sitting in this seat now, the blonde realizes, all the things that had pushed him away from Sasuke in the past, all the things he used as reasons to hate the boy, are now the reasons that he's falling for the raven.

 _Falling for –_

Oh, God.

With that realization, Naruto's breath catches in his throat and he feels like he just landed on his back, all the air leaving his lungs and his eyes going wide with the shocking awareness of his feelings. During these last few months, he hasn't just come to tolerate Sasuke. No, it couldn't be anything simple like that. Somewhere, somehow, he fell in love with that asshole.

Naruto refrains from groaning his woes out to the entire class, and settles for laying his head down on his desk, a pounding headache building rapidly. For the second time in a few days, Naruto finds himself asking the question, what in the world has he gotten himself into? And more importantly, is there any way to get out before Sasuke realizes and bails himself?

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* * *

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Naruto chooses to push the entire ordeal from his mind rather than dwell on the newfound emotions. Nothing good can come from being head-over-heels for Sasuke. Besides, what's love, anyways? Other than extra-strong like. There's no reason to make a big deal about this.

None at all.

Everything will be fine, so long as the blonde keeps his mouth shut and carries on like usual. Which is exactly what he's going to do. He's not going to draw attention to his feelings, and let Sasuke keep on thinking that he's still on the same page.

Unfortunately, Naruto has skipped a few chapters ahead, much to his dismay.

"What's got you down this time?" Kiba sets his tray down with a clatter, plopping into a seat with a groan. "I'm sick of these review classes already."

Taking his chance to ignore the first question and hone in on the second comment, Naruto jumps on the I-hate-midterms bandwagon.

The two best friends bicker over their lunches for a few minutes before the arrival of the others, joking and insulting each other's ability to focus or study.

So lost in the conversation, Naruto doesn't pay attention to the three boys making their way to the table, nor the handsome raven that takes a seat to his left.

"I don't see how midterms are useful in the first place. They just make people panic and stress out, you know?" Naruto shakes his head in dismay at the whole education system. "I think every day should be a "learn as you please" day."

"You would be learning nothing in that scenario, dobe."

Naruto throws a playful sneer at the raven sitting to his side; one that quickly morphs into a blush when the blonde realizes who's at his side. He glances back up for a moment, letting a smile creep onto his face at the subtle roll of eyes Sasuke shoots him.

Trying to act natural and go with the flow, Naruto picks up his ranting once more. "And you know they know that this is just torture. That's why they give up Spring Break immediately after." Naruto points his fork across the table at Kiba. "Don't let them fool you. They enjoy their torture. Sadist!"

"You're an idiot." Is the dual response from Kiba and Sasuke. The blonde huffs, returning to his ramen and ignoring his friends as he slurps down some more noodles. Well, ignore as best as he can. He's strongly aware of the solid presence close to his side. Aware in a way that makes him both pleased and nervous. It's still not very often that Sasuke eats lunch with him, and the proximity in which he chose to sit had him flushing a pretty shade of red when he first came to the table. A flush he's afraid still remains lightly coloring his cheeks. Dear lord, is he really going to be able to hide his growing feelings for Sasuke from the boy himself?

It doesn't seem very likely.

"I don't mind midterms, but they do stress me out." Choji mumbles in-between large bites. "And I have no de-stress break plans. Other than eating." A grin from Choji at his own expense has everyone else smiling and laughing along, and the conversation turns to the groups lackluster vacation plans.

"Naruto and I are gonna spend the entire time training." Kiba says matter-of-factly, despite Naruto's snort of indignance.

"Like hell we are. I wanna savor my time away from this place for a week. We can practice any time. We can only go on Spring Break once a year."

Before Kiba can argue this point, Temari diverts the attention to herself by leaning forward and waving her hand lazily, immediately having all eyes on her. The blonde girl is much like Sasuke in regard to her manner, prone to observing rather than interacting. Seeing her do anything that breaks her routine could make anyone take a second glance.

"If you don't have anything to do for break and a bit of money, I can swing some rooms at my family's retreat."

This peaks Naruto's attention right up. "What kind of retreat?"

"It's kind of all-encompassing. The resort it built on a natural hot spring, so we have various spring-soaks and baths. There's also a spa on the premises. And it's located in the middle of the woods, so there's hiking and other outdoor activities." Temari shrugs her shoulders. A weekend usually cost around eighty dollars a person, but I can get my parents to book rooms for thirty if you're interested."

Naruto's eyes grow wide and he quickly flips his attention to Sasuke. He wants to ask if that would be any interest of his, but isn't sure if he ought to bring it up in front of everyone. It's not a topic they've spoken about amidst their time together. Whatever Sasuke's plans for the small vacation are, Naruto has never tried to learn them. He just assumed the two would find themselves together.

"I could go for that." Kiba says thoughtfully. He slaps a hand down on the table and proceeds to point a finger at Naruto. "We can go hiking and trailing and use it as a new practice regimen."

Naruto grins, shaking his head in agreement. "I'm cool with that." The blonde nudges the raven at his side, raising inquisitive and hopeful eyes to Sasuke. He might be playing with fire by wanting to spend a few days at a retreat with him, but to hell with common sense.

Sasuke rolls his eyes but gives a small nod of approval, much to Naruto's shining joy.

Choji also agrees to the small trip, and Naruto can tell by watching that Shikamaru has already been roped into the ordeal, whether or not he actually wants to go.

Naruto is thankful for the impromptu offer. He hasn't allowed himself to dwell on the topic – not even thinking about it during the chaos of this semester, his job, and whatever is going on in his personal life. He previously had no plans and nothing to look forward to, except lounging around the house for a week, alone. Jiraiya is still gone and the only other company he'd have would be at Java's. Not a bad thing, but the usual. And Naruto wants something away from the usual. Something different and new and refreshing.

Having Sasuke at his side during Spring Break is a massive bonus on top of the plans. He won't be flat-out admitting t to the boy himself any time soon, but being near him both calms and excites Naruto, leaving him wound up just enough to be giddy but not tight enough to snap. It's as if being in Sasuke's presence works some sort of magic on him. A strange magic that only the raven has ever been able to influence over him.

Of course, with his current knowledge on what he's feeling for said raven, he knows what that "strange magic" is now. If Naruto had known that this is what truly falling for someone feels like, he never would have wasted his time chasing Sakura around.

Steering his attention back to the conversation at hand, he picks up during a discussion about what the resort is like. Apparently, it's huge, with many different buildings of various size and class. There's a rather large, natural, and untouched spring a fair walk away from the resort that feeds into a river, and many marked trail paths through the thick forest. All in all, Naruto thinks he'll enjoy his time there, away from the hassle of academia.

A few more scattered and casual conversations take place before Temari turns her attention to Sasuke, asking him a direct question. "Do you think we'll be ready for the cultural festival on Friday?"

Naruto attention snaps up at the question, lost on the topic. Confusion sinks into his expression, furthered by Sasuke's response.

"It's only half-thought out, but it will have to do. Those girls are insistent and annoying, and I will not devote any more time to their plans."

Temari laughs, low and none-too-humorously. "I've been telling you all year, let me have a go at them. I can whip them into shape."

Shikamaru casts his eyes to the ceiling as he mutters a "troublesome" under his breath, but Temari's devilish grin doesn't falter. "They need to learn some manners about working in a group. Well," Temari adds as an afterthought, "Sakura more than Ino."

By this point, Naruto is as lost as lost can be. He shifts his attention between the blonde girl and his raven, but comes up with no answers on his own. Clearing his throat, he tries not to sound as confused as he feels. "What's going on?"

Temari flicks her attention to him, answering before anyone else can. "The cultural festival is on Friday, after mid-terms."

"Since when? I'm just now hearing about it."

"That's because you don't listen to people." Kiba grins across the table. "Too busy being off in your own world."

"Well, forgive me for having more important things to focus on."

"You're just a space case, got nothin' to do with focus."

"Back to the point", Naruto says bitingly, "what's up with this cultural fair?"

This time, Sasuke speaks up. "It's been planned for months, though the actual work put into it has been less than stellar. There's three main sections to it. A food court, a media display, and an arts production. Forms were sent out earlier in the year, inviting people to join in the preparation."

Oh, that. Naruto remembers that form. He had considered and planned to join in a drama production of some sort – hard saying now – but he took it with him to Java's after school and ended up getting cake batter all over it. He figured that was as much a sign as he was going to get that he shouldn't do it.

"And it's this week?" Jeez, you'd think he would remember something being said, but zilch is coming to mind. He really has to get better at that "paying attention to what other people are saying" thing.

Oh well.

"You're coming, aren't you?" Kiba mumbles through a mouthful of food. He swallows and glares at the blonde. "Hinata is performing in the play as some sort of courage-test for herself, and you're gonna go see it with me."

Naruto laughs and shakes his head. Of course, Hinata would do something like that. She's always trying to prove herself as sociable. It doesn't tend to work when she starts stuttering and tripping over her own words, but hey. It's the effort that counts.

"I'll go see the play with you. It'll be fun to watch them all make fools of themselves."

"Yeah, you just keep that opinion to yourself. No matter how Hinata does, you tell her she was amazing at the end of it, got it?"

"Yes, sir." Naruto mock salutes the mutt. "I wouldn't dream of making her feel bad."

Kiba nods in sincere gratification. "She's been working hard, so she deserves lots of praise."

"Will you go too, teme?" Turning another hopeful smile to Sasuke, the blonde can't help but wonder if the raven would do the same if he had chosen to be in the play. Would Sasuke go there and support him no matter what? Even if he didn't enjoy it or care in the slightest?

A part of Naruto – and not even the too hopeful part – believes that Sasuke would. He wouldn't have to be asked, and he would offer him praise in his own way. Because while Sasuke can be an absolute asshole, he's an attentive asshole.

Narrowing his eyes in a slight glare, Sasuke answers with a short "we'll see." Under the table, however, the raven's knee bumps into Naruto's, the weight of its presence and the comfort it brings a sharp negation of the words spoken blankly just moments earlier.

Yeah, Naruto thinks sunnily, Sasuke would be there.

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* * *

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By the time Thursday afternoon rolls around, Naruto is wishing he could go back to review classes. That would be better than the hell he's finding himself in now. Every semester, he has to do midterms. He knows this. Yet, somehow, he manages to block out the pain they bring and completely forget what he's in for the next time around.

Why does he do this to himself? He should have studied more. The pounding headache in his skull isn't going to dissipate any time soon, he knows that much. Though, studying probably wouldn't have been able to save him, anyways.

Naruto sets his books down before sliding into the seat across from Sasuke, casting a tired smile over to the raven that's ignoring him. By fluke or chance, the boys manage to meet up in the library after each test without planning it. Sasuke is always there first, of course. He finishes his midterms with no problems, Naruto thinks exasperatedly. If only he could borrow a small portion of the raven's intelligence…

Said raven doesn't even bother to look up from his book to greet Naruto, eyes staying studiously on the book in front of him. All week he's been reading that massive book that Itachi gave him, completely ignoring the rest of the world. It must be good, though Naruto can't imagine trying to get through anything that thick.

"What is that book, teme? I can't see a title on the cover." It's one of those really old-style books that have no cover art, just a solid faded red binding. Naruto is sure he wouldn't know what it is, anyways. Books make good paperweights, and that's about it.

"Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky." Perhaps Sasuke can feel the blank stare being aimed at him upon voicing this answer, because he turns his apathetic attention to the blonde. "It's beneficial for my major."

It seems like this is all the explanation Naruto is going to get. Sasuke turns back to the book like it's the only existence he cares for.

Really, that wouldn't surprise Naruto if it were true.

It peaks the blonde's interest, however, as to why Sasuke is so interested in criminology. He remembers the raven saying he wanted to major in Criminal Psychology and Forensics, but he never gave a reason why this was of interest. Looking at Sasuke, you wouldn't peg him as the type that wants to spend his days analyzing crime scenes.

Causing them, maybe.

"Sasuke, why does all this crime stuff interest you so much?" Naruto's inquisitiveness earns him no response, not even when he pouts at being ignored. This does nothing but peak his interest more. "There's gotta be a reason. It's not something people just have a talent for, like cooking or writing. And even my interest in cooking and owning a restaurant stems from my lack of a secure family life." Damn, Naruto has to give himself points on coming up with that last line of thought. And yet he still gets no response.

Naruto huffs loudly. "You never share anything about yourself, teme. And here I am, being 100 percent upfront with you about –"

"If I tell you, will you cease your incessant noise?" Sasuke's sharp voice cuts the blonde off. To his benefit, Naruto gives a silent, quick jerk of his head in the affirmative.

"You cannot make a scene out of it. I am only telling you so you'll shut up. Do you understand?" Sasuke's searching eyes wait for another quick nod before sighing in irritation.

"I told you during one of our assignments that my family was involved in a murder, yes?"

"Well, yeah, but I don't –"

"Quiet, dobe." Sasuke cuts him off before continuing. "When I was ten, someone broke into our house. The police suspected it was likely meant to be a burglary, but _nothing of value_ was taken, according to them." The raven spits the words out like they burn his mouth, his mouth twisting into a sneer.

"My father must have come to investigate before they could get far, as he was found on the living room floor, one bullet directly to the brain. My mother was still in bed, where they found she had been shot twice. To this day, it remains unsolved because the crime scene technicians butchered the forensic process of gathering data."

The words couldn't have hit Naruto any harder had he been standing in the way of an oncoming train. Many things fall into place in the blonde's mind, concerning information he received prior that didn't quite add up to him. Everything makes a lot more sense, given that horrible knowledge. "I didn't know – didn't imagine anything like that." He lets out a deep breath, trying to stabilize his own thoughts. "I'm sorry I asked and made you talk through that."

Frankly, he's too stunned to even begin to process the entire story. Part of him is angry that he wasn't told this when he let Sasuke in on his own past. The more rational side of him understands the need to not talk about it. Everyone protects themselves from trauma differently.

Hell, the blonde can barely get himself to speak of his childhood and being bullied. If he had gone through a situation like his parents being murdered right in the middle of his childhood, you can bet like hell Naruto would never speak of it.

Naruto can't even fathom what it's been like for Sasuke. While it's true the blonde's parents are gone, he never had them in the first place. To lose them at ten years old… Naruto's heartstrings are pulled in every which direction for his friend. He's probably isolated himself from people since that time.

"Sasuke," Naruto tries to start, but he's not sure what conversation to pursue here. What is allowed to be said? What would Sasuke even want to hear at this time? Naruto personally hates talking about his parents too openly; it leads to pity and uncertain glances, like somehow it changes you from a normal person into a freak to have lost your mom and dad.

In the past, not having parents was a large part of his being an outcast. The teachers and parents at his elementary school treated him different for being an orphan. Children pick up on those things, and not knowing any better but to be led by example, they too shunned the blonde's existence. At least, when they weren't picking fights with him.

"Leave it be, Naruto. You're supposed to stop talking now."

And so he does. If there's anything Naruto can do now, it's respect Sasuke's wishes.

He reaches a hand across the table and gives what he hopes is a reassuring squeeze to the raven's wrist before sinking back in his own seat. Picking up his Japanese textbook, he tries to regain some semblance of control over his raging emotions, though he sincerely doubts it will do any good.

So, instead of pretending to study, he lets the second-hand hurt of his love's secret pain to wash over him as he stares blankly at the Japanese characters swimming on the page in front of him.

Whether either of the boys notice the silent tears spill down Naruto's cheeks, neither speak of it.

.

* * *

.

Naruto is fuming.

He doesn't really have a reason _why_ , he just is. It's probably a culmination of all the weeks stress and revelations weighing down on the blonde, threatening to snap his weary patience. Midterms, break coming up, Sasuke and all that entails, and these girls.

Oh, these damned girls.

Every time Naruto catches a glance at his raven, there's some chick hanging next to his arm, looking at him with hopeful eyes. They all have to know he's going to shoot them down – Sasuke never gives a second glance to any of the girls, for reasons that few people know. They don't even bother to learn anything about him before they start their pursuit, and yet they still hound him.

Yeah, that's probably why he's so frustrated this Friday. And also why, when Naruto catches Sasuke leaning against the wall outside the library with a girl unwavering in her pursuit next to him, his temper snaps. The closer he gets to the pair, the more he hears of the usual one-sided, flirtatious banter. Sasuke is trying to tell the girl off through his stoicism, but she's stubbornly not taking it.

"Hey," Naruto says casually when Sasuke's eyes land on him, a slight nod coming from the raven in answer. The blonde's eyes sidle over to the girl, narrowing into a venomous glare at the brunette brat, who backs off from Sasuke as the blonde approaches.

"Well, like I was saying, Sasuke, I would love –"

"Take a hint, okay? You're not wanted." Shock fills the girls face at the unusually biting words from Naruto, but she doesn't push her luck further. When she turns tail and scampers down the hall, Naruto lets out a frustration sigh and runs a hand rightly through his hair. "How do you put up with them, teme?"

Sasuke raises a finely arched eyebrow at the blonde's antics, though he doesn't seem offended. "I'm used to it, dobe." Sasuke reaches a hand out to Naruto's hip, looping a finger through a belt loop and pulling the blonde closer. "Are you jealous of her?"

Naruto blushes at the lack of distance between them and all the thoughts that come swimming up to the forefront of his mind, but he doesn't make a move to regain any distance. "Hardly, teme." The blonde answers truthfully. "I'm not going to be jealous when you're obviously not interested, but it's annoying to see them all over you, ya know?"

Sasuke rolls his eyes, but gives a small squeeze to Naruto's hip. "A few months ago, you would have been angry about me getting the attention for different reasons." The raven lets go of his hold on the blonde, turning to enter the library. It appears that will be the end of the conversation; when Sasuke speaks next, he's all business. "Do you need to study for the last final?"

Naruto rolls his eyes but doesn't push it. The difference in his emotions from a few months ago to now aren't something he wants to get into, anyways. "Yeah." The blonde doesn't put up any fuss as Sasuke launches into tutor mode.

The familiarity of this situation, as opposed to the foreign thoughts he's been dealing with help ease Naruto's growing confusion. Even though the emotions are all new to Naruto, it doesn't really change anything. Sasuke is still Sasuke, the project is the same, nothing has exploded, and the world has yet to shift due to Naruto falling for the stoic asshole.

The more he learns about Sasuke and his past, the more he can't help but care for the boy. Sure, he's got his bad points and his attitude, just as always. But the history behind those defenses helps to explain it.

At least in Naruto's opinion. Which, let's face, is the only one that matters.

.

* * *

.

Sasuke rolls his eyes for the umpteenth time. "Just remember what we've gone over. There's minimal exact or correct answers on a psychology exam. It's mostly going to be question pertaining to your views, just like we've been doing."

Yeah, and did this boy forget that he's the one who supplies the majority of answers during their sessions? Naruto is definitely screwed on this midterm; he just knows it.

Taking a deep breath and giving Sasuke a subtle smile, he starts to tell the raven thank you for helping him study all afternoon, but is cut off by a high-pitched, screeching voice.

"Sasuke! I totally forgot we have this class together! Has it been going well for you?" Sakura flounces over to the seat next to Sasuke, sitting down like they're the best of friends.

The raven, to his credit, manages to keep his face impassive as he tilts his head in her direction, barely sparing a glance at the girl. "I've been enjoying myself." The raven pointedly turns his attention back to Naruto, the innuendo hanging heavy in the air. Naruto rapidly begins to blush, casting his eyes downwards and becoming deeply absorbed by the grain pattern of Sasuke's desk.

Unfortunately, Sakura also catches the hidden meaning – at least, she seems to note that something is going on that she's not privy to. This doesn't keep her from running her mouth further, however. "Well, I daresay you'd have more fun with me."

"And you'd be sickeningly wrong." This time, the look Sasuke levels at the pinkette is none too kind. "I suggest you quit now, Sakura. You're playing far out of your league."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sakura tries to keep her face from contorting into a nasty snarl, but she's failing miserably. For once, the bite from Sasuke's words seem to have sunk home.

"I've told you before. You have nothing on Naruto."

Oh, damn. The blonde in question is sure his face is on fire now. When in the world did Sasuke and Sakura have a conversation about him? And why would they? From what Naruto can tell, Sasuke does his best to limit his interactions with this girl, so how would they have ever found the time to talk about… Well, _this_.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say something is going on between you two." Sakura turns her glare to Naruto. If looks could convey a message, the pinkette would quite clearly be telling Naruto she'd like to do nothing more than strange the life out of him. "What did you do, Naruto? Throw yourself at him the moment you were alone?"

Naruto glares dubiously at the malicious brat, clenching his hand into a shaking fist. "You have no right –"

A deep and angry voice rings out from the front of the class at the same time, overlapping with Naruto's. "The fuck, Sakura –"

"Everyone needs to stop!"

Three voices speak out in unison at the accusation, though it's the last that silences everyone into heated glares. Ino steps forward from the doorway, hands raised in a placating gesture towards Kiba and Naruto.

Surprised to see his best friend standing in the room and looking ready to rip Sakura's head off, Naruto remains quiet rather than defending his honor.

Since Sakura first took her seat, Ino had been standing in the doorway to the class, where the pinkette asked her to wait upon spotting Sasuke in the room. It wasn't long before Kiba came and took a stance next to her, watching the scene unfold with narrowed eyes.

Ino takes a deep breath and glances between the four angry faces in the room. While Sasuke didn't say anything at Sakura's words, the venomous expression he carries is all that needs to be said. He would rip her to pieces if he had the chance. "We're all very stressed out from midterms and need to just calm down. There's no need to be going at each other's throats."

"There's no need for her to be such a bitch just because she's in over her head." Kiba snarls, keeping his attention pinpointed on the pinkette.

"What the hell do you now, Kiba?" Sakura raises her voice at the brunette, hands on her hips in an attempt to appear confident.

"More than your dumbass." Kiba returns, not having to pretend to be confident through his anger. If only this little brat really knew.

"What did you –"

"That's enough, now. Let's all take our seats and be quiet. Unless you want me to start handing out detentions." All words cease as the eyes of the students turn to Kakashi. He casually strolls into the room, not bothering to even glance up from _Icha Icha_ as he addresses the irate group of students.

Ino takes the moment of ashamed silence to try to pull Sakura away, who stubbornly refuses to move from her seat beside Sasuke. With a sigh and an apologetic frown to Naruto, Ino takes the seat behind her friend, as Kiba has already moved to sit beside the blonde boy, placing himself in front of the pinkette. The silent threat to Sakura to even try anything screaming from the rigidity of the mutt's stature.

Doing his best to pretend that none of this has phased him, Naruto rolls his eyes at Sasuke and sends Sakura another glare before turning to face forward. He keeps silent as the class begins to fill up, not wanting to start another scene. His animosity towards the pinkette has yet to diminish, but the frightfully small part of Naruto's brain that works on logic tells him now is not the time to push the situation.

He doesn't need to draw any more attention to himself than necessary. Shit, it's bad enough that Sakura seems to be catching onto whatever is going on between the boys. Naruto can only imagine what the rumor-mill will be saying by the time they get back from spring break.

But, that's a worry for another day. One that needs to be pushed down and locked up until this last exam has been finished. While the ache to yell at Sakura and make her understand that this - whatever _this_ is – is whole-heartedly mutual and nothing to do with _"throwing himself"_ at anybody, passing this stupid exam and graduating is slightly higher up on his list of priorities.

He won't have to see or deal with the girl ever again if he can just get that far.

"Alright. This is the last test you have to take before you're sent on your way for a vacation. What do you say we just get it over with?" Kakashi lazily picks up a stack of papers from the edge of his desk and moves around the room, handing them out amongst the class.

Naruto nervously waits for his own to be placed in front of him. He can't help but run his mind over all the various ways he can bomb this test. He's certainly not going to have the answers.

Why didn't he pay more attention during the assignments, instead of ogling the raven? He really has to get his priorities straight.

"You're free to begin." Kakashi sets the last exam on Naruto's desk, giving the boy a crinkled smile before returning to his own desk and that pervy book.

With anxiety rearing its ugly head in the pit of his stomach, Naruto drags his gaze to the test and hesitantly reads through some of the questions. He immediately eases. They're similar to what is asked on the assignments, and as Sasuke assured him, they seem to be open-ended. Saying a silent prayer, Naruto sets to work.

All is good and well for the first half of the exam, but then Naruto's hair begins to stand on end. He shivers, wondering if a sudden breeze somehow slipped through the room, despite the windows being closed. The more the blonde tries to ignore it, the stronger the unease presents itself.

He's just about to throw his pencil down and figure out what the hell is going on, when he feels a hand snake along his side. Long finger ghost across the fabric of his shirt and press lightly into his ribs.

Startled, Naruto jerks forward before quickly swiveling around to case a wide-eyed, incredulous frown at Sasuke. "What the hell, teme?" Naruto whispers fiercely. "You better have a damn good –"

"Naruto, I know I'm lenient, but this is an exam. Please face forward and don't turn around again."

"But, sensei! I was –" Naruto is cut off once again by the subtle grazing of fingers against his side, clamping his mouth shut and refusing to lean into the familiar touch, despite how much he wants to. This is _so not_ the place.

And, come on! That stupid ero-sensei must be able to see that Sasuke's arm is oh-so-strangely stretched forward across his desk and towards the blonde. It figures a man who walks around reading perverted books all day wouldn't be of any help.

Has Sasuke lost his damned mind, though? They're in the middle of class! Taking a required exam. This is not the time to be giving the poor little blonde a heart attack.

Grudgingly, Naruto turns back to his test and wills himself to ignore the pressure of those fingertips wreaking havoc with his nerves. Concentrating on the test is damn near impossible at this point.

That Uchiha better hope he doesn't fail because of this.

Naruto rushes through the rest of the exam as best as he can while still answering all the questions to the fullest. Relief washes through him as he pencils in the last word, nearly bolting from his chair to hand the exam in to Kakashi.

The silver-haired pervert nods in acknowledgement and waves lazily to a tray with similar tests sitting in it, before dismissing the blonde for the afternoon. Doing his best to not glare at the useless teacher, Naruto drops the test into the growing pile and turns to leave.

Only to catch sight of Sasuke casually strolling up to the desk to turn his exam in as well.

Please.

As if that irritating genius didn't finish his test well before this. He just wanted to torture the blonde some more and stay till Naruto finished and ended the torment.

Well, the blonde certainly isn't going to hang around for him to pick up a new way to be irritating. Turning on his heels and all but bolting from the room, Naruto heads straight for his locker, shoving his books haphazardly into the confined space before slamming the door shut, and quickly making his way for the staircase.

If Sasuke wants to continue being a pain, he's gonna have to work for it.

.

* * *

.

Things do not go according to Naruto's plan.

Sasuke did take the time to find him wondering the grounds, marveling at various stands the cultural festival put up, but other than that, nothing. No apology, no excuse for why he would draw attention to them, and certainly no remorse.

Well, he might have a _bit_ of remorse about the tangent it's sent Naruto off into.

"I mean, honestly, what were you thinking?!" Naruto fumes. "The entire class saw that and heard the commotion. Sakura definitely saw." He winces. "She's gonna kill me. Really," he says rather pointedly, "it's you she should kill. But we both know she'll come after me first."

Sasuke has the audacity to simply shrug his shoulders. "I was getting tired of her staring at me, and glaring at you. Decided to give her something to look at."

"What you did was give her a target to beat to a pulp later. Namely, me."

"You'll be fine, dobe."

"You know, you've been pretty docile this week. What's up?"

Sasuke raises an eyebrow, looking more amused than agitated. "Docile? Do you know the meaning of the word?"

"I do." Naruto huffs in annoyance at the stab to his vocabulary. "It means your being nice – too nice."

The raven ignores him. Flat out ignores him. Naruto isn't sure which is worse; having Sasuke be strangely nice to him and not being an arrogant – well, not too much so – brat towards him, or that frustrating as hell silence that just screams 'I don't deem that worth any recognition or comment'.

The blatant brush-off simply serves to rile the blonde up further, who begins to prepare for another heated argument – as one-sided as it is.

He doesn't get the chance, as Sasuke grabs his hand and squeezes it, shifting Naruto's dumbfounded attention into silence. "Dobe, quit worrying about it. Whatever happens, happens. It doesn't matter what she or anyone else thinks. We're doing what we want to, and that's all that matters."

"Well, yeah…" Naruto tries lamely to come up with a response to that. "She's still gonna kill me."

"I won't let her. What would I do without you?" Whether it's the subtle tease to Sasuke's voice or the tilting of his lips in a smirk that only Naruto ever gets to see, something makes the blonde's heart melt right then and there.

And just like that, all argument goes out the window. Naruto may be stubborn, but it'll be a cold day in hell before he ruins a moment where Sasuke admits – albeit teasingly – that he likes to have him around.

.

* * *

.

It's not till much later when Naruto is sitting in his jeep waiting for it to warm up, after they've visited every stand in the courtyard and attended the play with Kiba, does Naruto realize that they went about the entire afternoon with hands clasped for the whole school to see.

From the moment that Sasuke clasped their hands together to get Naruto to stop talking, to the walk back to their vehicles after the play, they never let go for more than a few seconds. Hell, even when Sasuke gave the blonde a quite chaste goodnight kiss as he left him beside the jeep, he didn't pull his hand away until he was moving away to return to his own vehicle.

Surprisingly, Naruto can't seem to care. He smiles at his cupped hands that he keeps breathing into as a vain attempt to stop them from freezing, remembering the weight and warmth of Sasuke's palm pressed against his own.

The ease in which he accepts and becomes familiar with all aspects of the raven slightly terrifies the blonde, but not in a " _we have to get out of this_ " way. It's more of a… "Oh my God, how can this be real? Things like this only happen in dreams".

Which, of course, when it comes to Sasuke, Naruto's dreams are never as amazing as the real thing. Something about the raven just can't be replicated in his subconscious. There's too much to the Uchiha for a dream to ever do him justice.

Naruto sighs and leans his head back against his seat. He really, truly, no doubt about it, is falling for that guy, isn't he?

It doesn't cause the same panic in him that it did upon first realization, but it certainly doesn't sit well with him. For no reason other than the fact it can't end well. The one thing that Sasuke has made it blatantly clear that will push them apart, Naruto does not have the ability to stop.

How do you tell yourself to not fall in love with somebody? How do you put a stop to the whirlwind of emotions playing havoc on your heart every time they come around? And how do you tell yourself that the ease and compatibility with said person does not warrant a second glance?

Naruto has no idea, but he does know this. If he wants to keep Sasuke around, he's going to have to find a way.


	18. Vacation

**Author's Note :** Alright, ya'll. Here's how the next several chapters are going to go.

Chapters 18, 19, and 20 are all Spring Break chapters. Chapters 21 and 22 returns to the usual format. Chapter 22 finishes Part III and will finish this story set.

The story IS NOT done. With 22 chapters and 200,000+ words, I feel like we need to come to some sort of close here, as it's getting so huge. I don't want it to be a 400,000+ story and then no one wants to read it because it's such a huge investment (that's around 4 books in one go).

Chapter 22 will provide reasonable closure to the story, so if you don't want to continue reading / want to wait till the next part is done, you won't be on some massive cliffhanger.

Chapter 23, the start of Part IV, will be opened as a new story on my profile, with the same name, just Set 2 of 2. It is two more parts, IV and V, and It will be roughly 16 more chapters (160,000+ words). You can consider it a sequel if you'd like, but it's really just a continuation. I would split it right after Spring Break, but it would be a cliff hanger then. So, no-go there :(

With that said, we have 5 more chapters to go and then Set 1 is done.

* * *

 **Main Pairing :** Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto (Yaoi)

 **Disclaimer :** I do not own the Naruto characters; I am simply using them for my enjoyment. And I hope, yours. I do own the story line, plot, and any locations mentioned in the plot that are not canon to the Naruto-Verse.

 **Reviews** are more than welcome, and help me gain motivation to write quickly! Please be courteous in your reviews, though constructive criticism is welcome.

* * *

 **Chapter 18 – Vacation**

* * *

What do you take to a resort? Having never been to one, Naruto is at a complete loss. There's the obvious clothing necessities. Enough for the four-day trip, but beyond that?

No idea.

Do you wear swimwear into the hot springs or go nude? Is it both chicks and guys in the baths or separated? Seriously, only Naruto would agree to a vacation where he has no idea what's going on. The simple prospect of getting away for awhile was enough to entice him along.

He can't even text Sasuke to ask his opinion about tomorrow. Well, he could, but the blonde has been slightly on his guard since last night. The fear of the oncoming drama that's bound to happen has Naruto antsy and entirely unsure of what to do.

While his heart is going head-over-heels for the raven, his brain is stepping up for once and begging him to proceed with caution. This could all go down very badly if the wrong person catches wind of the unorthodox relationship.

God, how horrible is it that Naruto can't even enjoy his own vacation due to teenage bullshit? The blonde has always proudly done whatever the hell he wants to and be damned with everyone else's opinion. And yet he's been letting society and the fear of opinions stop him from doing what he wants to.

Really, there's a time for a change, and it's now.

Picking up his phone, he jots out a quick message to the boy that takes up the majority of his time and thoughts. Within moments, he has a reply in the form of a phone call.

"Bring clothes, dobe." Sasuke's typically exasperated voice grinds out from the speaker. "What else would you need?"

"I don't know! That's why I asked, teme."

"It's just a hot springs resort. All we'll be doing is relaxing."

"Not true. Kiba wants to go hiking."

"That's your problem, not mine."

"You're not gonna hike with me?"

"No."

"Well, what're you gonna do while I'm gone?"

"Enjoy some peace and quiet, dobe."

"Yeah, whatever, teme. You adore me, and you know it."

Naruto can _feel_ the eyeroll from the raven, bringing a grin to his face. "I'm really happy you're coming with me."

"I wouldn't hear the end of it, otherwise."

Naruto laughs as he rifles through a pile of clothes. "Hey, Sas, am I gonna be naked or do I need swim trunks?"

The question is followed by a poignant silence from the raven, halting Naruto in his search for the elusive trunks. "Sasuke?"

"Bring a pair, dobe. I doubt you'll need them much, though."

"Why not?"

Sasuke scoffs. "Because I'm sure I'll have you out of them more often than not."

"Teme!" The blonde indignantly squawks into the phone. "Don't be so cocky!"

"Finish packing, dobe. I'll be at your house first thing in the morning. You better be ready."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. See you later." Naruto ends the call and runs a palm over his face. What is he getting himself into? Isn't sex practically expected during these sorts of things? Is he really ready for that?

Considering that his libido is screaming a resounding yes throughout his skull, Naruto doesn't search further for an answer. This is just one of those things the blonde has to do when he feels the time is right.

And that will probably be sooner than he really expected.

* * *

Having never been to any sort of resort before, Naruto didn't know what to expect going in. But whatever it was, it certainly wasn't this boring. The hot springs are located in an untouched slice of wilderness about three hours away from Konoha, but that feels like a lifetime to an impatient boy. And if you didn't know where you were going, you'd surely get lost.

Thankfully Sasuke is handling the navigation aspect.

They'd past a large archway, proclaiming that they're officially on the grounds. But nothing else after that. Just a long, winding road leading them further into the woods. Naruto sighs and sags heavily against his seat. It's _way_ too early in the morning for this. He could still be sleeping in a comfy bed, instead of riding in a car along a bumpy road in the middle of nowhere.

The blonde stares groggily out the window, watching the greenery pass by. Every now and then, he thinks he catches a glimpse of a building through the trees, but it's gone so quickly that he doesn't get his hopes up.

"Sasuke, are we close?" Naruto turns his head towards the raven, lip jutting out in a pout.

Sasuke keeps his eyes trained on the rough road, not chancing his attention to be anywhere else. "Dobe, I'm just as unfamiliar with this place as you are. We'll be there when we get there."

"Oh, well, ain't that just the most helpful answer." The blonde rolls his eyes and looks back out the window, only to quickly push up in his seat. "Sasuke! Look! A building! I think we're finally-" Naruto gasps and his mouth drops open in awe. "This place is gorgeous."

Or what he can see of it so far. Which is another archway entrance to a fairly small parking lot, with a rustic wooden lodge settled just in front of it. There are stone trails leading to buildings and hiking paths behind the primary lodging. Maybe his imagination is running away with him, but Naruto swears he can see steam rising into the air from behind the buildings.

The boys haul their bags out of the trunk of Naruto's Jeep – they opted, or more like, Sasuke opted, to take Naruto's car instead of his Camaro, to save the vehicle from any off-road traveling that might occur. He still insisted on being the one to drive, though.

Before they get to the front doors, they're already being pushed open and a familiar blonde pops out to greet them. "Hey, guys. I hope you found it easy enough." Temari holds the door open and allows the boys to pass her before stepping into the lobby herself.

Naruto turns a smile on her as soon as they're all inside and assures it that it was easy enough to find. "A bit boring of a drive," he complains nonchalantly, "but easy."

Sasuke scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Says the person who just sat in the passenger seat and complained."

Temari laughs and moves to stand behind the front desk, pulling up their information on a touch-screen system. "Alright, I have you down for the west wing private bathhouses for a total of four days and three nights, and its already paid for." Temari smiles up at them. "If you go out this door over here," she points off down the hall, "the path will lead you to the west building. Here's your room key and it's 3A. Third floor, first suite."

"Woah," Naruto looks from Temari to Sasuke, utterly confused. "I think you have that wrong, it –"

"It's right, dobe." Sasuke takes the key from Temari with a polite nod, before wrapping his arm around Naruto's upper arm and pulling towards the designated door.

"But, Sasuke, that can't be right." Naruto lurches his arm out of the boys grasp and glares at him. "She said her family would spring for the basic rooms at a basic package. I don't think a private suite for four days is very basic."

"It's not, but it doesn't matter. It's covered."

"Sasuke." Naruto doesn't know whether to be annoyed or pleased. "You didn't need to spend your money on this."

The raven scoffs. "I didn't."

"What?" The blonde tilts his head in confusion, still watching the raven rather than his surroundings.

"This trip is being brought to us courtesy of Uchiha Inc." Sasuke smirks at his companion. "My brother leaves me with one of his credit cards for daily expenses. I took advantage."

"Sasuke!" The blonde means to seriously scold the raven, but the laughter comes bubbling up without his consent. "That's an underhanded thing to do. Your brothers gonna be mad."

The raven scoffs. "Hardly. He'll be calling me and asking how it all went, with no mention of the price."

Naruto shakes his head, a smile still playing on his lips. "Well, thank you, teme. Its gonna be an awesome weekend." The blonde finally lets his eyes roam around the path, drinking in the gorgeous scenery and well-crafted landscaping. He completely misses the small smile Sasuke sends his way in response to their weekend.

* * *

Everyone has arrived by that afternoon, much to Naruto's joy and Sasuke's distaste.

Thanks to Temari and her friendship with a new acquaintance of Naruto's, Midori and Sai were the first, an unwelcome surprise to Sasuke, who promptly ditched Naruto to deal with his fellow blonde and the strange artist. The two blondes animatedly talk in the lobby, as Sai wonders off to do God-knows-what.

Kiba seemed to have the same idea as Sasuke and upgraded his room with Hinata to a more private one in the east wing. Choji seemed perfectly content with his basic room and took the discounted offer, as well as Shikamaru.

Though Naruto has no doubts that Temari will be with him quite often.

The only issue that Naruto sees with the weekend is the unexpected arrivals that comes in while everyone, minus Sai and Midori who took off on a nature hike about an hour earlier, is sitting down eating lunch in the lanai dining room, situated just outside the main building.

"Will someone please tell me why they're here?" Naruto doesn't bother to lower his voice as he glares at the two girls currently standing at the check-in counter. He's still not over his little spat with that bubblegum bitch yesterday.

"Ino asked me what I was doing over break." Shikamaru drawls out indifferently, not nearly as perturbed as the blonde. "No sense in lying to her. My mom would just tell her, anyways."

Naruto groans and closes his eyes. "She better has the good sense God gave her to stay away from me."

"Who?" Temari speaks up brightly, intrigued by the obvious hostility Naruto is showing. She appears innocent, but that glint to her eyes gives her away. She knows exactly what is going on.

"Sakura." Naruto spits out vehemently. "After yesterday, you'd think she'd want to avoid me."

"Maybe she doesn't know that you're here." Hinata offers quietly, trying to appease the blonde.

"Like hell she doesn't. She came here to try to jump Sasuke, I have no doubts."

"Calm down, dobe." Sasuke speaks steadily, his own eyes narrowed at the girls. "Nothing will happen." A piercing glare cuts Naruto off from speaking out once more. "And if it does, she'll be put in her place, again."

Kiba scoffs at that. "Girl doesn't learn." He shakes his head but offers Naruto a grin. "Hey, maybe you should let them walk in on you guys –"

"Kiba," Sasuke states sharply, "don't finish that unless you'd like to be drowned this weekend."

Kiba laughs boisterously, not taking the threat seriously in the least. Rather than be embarrassed at the mutt's suggestion, Naruto grins along with him, his anger quickly dissipating as he settles back into the casual and fun banter of the group.

Whether it's because their lunch is already underway or they want to get settled into their room, Ino and Sakura do not come down while the group is dining, much to Naruto's relief. Dealing with the pinkette is not on his agenda for a happy weekend. Ino is cool; the boy doesn't have an issue with her, but she best keep her love interest away from Naruto's. This is supposed to be his relaxing vacation away from stressful things. Those things did not need to follow him.

And he's pretty sure this is going to be the weekend where he officially pushes his and Sasuke's relationship into actual lovers. So, yeah. There's that. Between his musings last night, his restless sleep and dreams of said event, and finding out that Sasuke got them a private room… Well, the blonde has been sold on the idea since they stepped foot in their room.

Naruto casts timid eyes towards the raven in question. He highly doubts Sasuke will have any qualms with that plan, but you can never be too sure. Sasuke is as fickle as they come. What if he's decided they're not even going to go that far? Or if he doesn't want their first time to be at a bathhouse and not somewhere homier. Just because Naruto finds the situation ideal and sort of romantic doesn't mean Sasuke will.

"Alright," Kiba loudly interrupts Naruto musings, "we're going on a hike today." The waggles a finger at the blonde. "You're not getting out of it, either."

Naruto groans, thoroughly not in agreement. "C'mon, man. We just got here."

"We're only here for two days. We can't just laze about."

The blonde doesn't mention that he's actually here till Tuesday, quite pleased to realize that he'll have a couple days of alone time with the raven. Instead, he scoffs and rolls his eyes, a habit he seems to be taking from Sasuke. "Right, because that's not the point of a vacation."

Kiba laughs good-naturedly. "You know you're gonna get sick of just hanging around with nothing to keep you active." Kiba nods at Temari. "What's the best hiking trail around here?"

The girl shrugs her shoulders and leaves the piece of bread she was tearing apart alone. "Depends on what you want to do. If you're looking for an endurance hike, then I would take the east trail. It's pretty difficult and takes about five hours to make the full circuit.

If you want a scenic and challenging route, I would take the northern trail. It has a ton of natural springs and a lake not far off the path. The trail itself takes about two hours, but people usually get sidetracked by the springs and end up abandoning the hike.

The western path is purely scenic, and quite gorgeous. It follows the river stream and winds around the grounds for about two hours. It's pretty to look at, but you can't really play in the stream, since most of it is under a bridge."

Kiba nods along as she talks, grossly interested in the descriptions in a way only a nature fan could be. "We're gonna take the best of both worlds and go north." Kiba says with a grin. "Maybe we'll stop at the lake. Swimming is exercise, too."

"If you don't mind a tag-along," Hinata speaks softly from Kiba's side, "I wouldn't mind coming." A blush graces her cheek as she speaks, in what Naruto is certain she considers, out of turn.

"Of course, you're comin'!" Kiba says exuberantly, putting an arm around his girl. "Wouldn't go anywhere without you." That only makes her blush darken.

Naruto grins at the sickening display of puppy love. Like hell he's gonna be stuck alone with those two all afternoon. "Anybody else wanna come along? Might as well make it a group trip."

Several murmurs of agreement come from around the table, some enthusiastic and some half-hearted mumbles. The blonde turns to Sasuke, the only one to not agree so far. Naruto gives him a wide-eyed, pleading pout that could break anyone into agreement. "You'll come along, won't you?"

Sasuke glares at him for a moment but lightens up with an annoyed nod of his head. Naruto can't help but smile in victory.

"It's settled then. We'll all meet up here in an hour or so and get going, if that sounds good."

When everyone comes to an agreement on the time and place, they go their separate ways for the time being, wanting to relax before the excursion.

Naruto all but drags Sasuke back to their room, excited to try out the private bath on their balcony. It was the first thing that caught his eye when they dropped their luggage off.

It's an inground, circular bath made from natural stone around the outside rim, and smooth stone as tile and the wall. It's a bit on the shallow side, but roughly big enough to fit four people comfortably. And it looks like it'll go to his waist once he sits down.

A theory he is more than enthusiastic to test.

"You're gonna join me, yeah?" Naruto pulls off his shirt and jeans, leaving his boxers on and pads out to the balcony. When he turns around to see if Sasuke is coming with him, he's not even remotely surprised to see an old, boorish looking book in the boy's hand. "Only you would bring a book on vacation." Naruto eyes the raven with disdain as he settled into a deck chair, completely unaccepting of the concept that reading might be enjoyable to some.

Sasuke takes no heed of Naruto's scorn for his chosen relaxation method and continues getting comfortable without a word spoken in retaliation.

Oh well. Naruto timidly dips a foot in the steaming water, nearly groaning in his joy. "This is perfect." He sighs and without further ado, he wades into the bath. He greatly misjudged the depth of the small pool, as it reaches his waist while he's standing up.

He turns back to Sasuke, giving the raven another chance to join him. "Sure you don't wanna come in, teme? No chance to relax again until after the hike."

Sasuke raises an unimpressed eyebrow at the blonde, wholly unaffected by the claim. "I'll manage to survive, dobe."

"Mm," Naruto sits on the ledge, bringing the water up to his shoulders, "you're missing out."

"I have a fine view from here."

Naruto glances at him quizzically, not sure if he means the gorgeous landscape that can be seen from the bath, or the mostly-naked blonde in it. The typical stoic façade is in place, lending no help to puzzling it out.

He decides to let it go. It's not like the raven needs to make obscure sexual passes at him. They're beyond that stage.

"Even my house doesn't have a view like this." The blonde stares admiringly out onto the grounds, trying to follow the paths and trails that lead from the grounds into the woods. "It's almost surreal."

"Because you're not used to it. If you lived here, it would just be another view."

"You're such a cynic."

"I'm honest."

Naruto sighs and leans his head back, ignoring his companion in favor of a bit of reflection on this whole trip. The blonde is happy the raven came with him at all; he's not going to push his luck. Besides, he has half the mind to try to seduce the raven this weekend, and if he annoys him too much, he just might cockblock himself.

Which means he's going to have to settle down and respect Sasuke's boundaries and what both boys are really willing to do at this point. Learning boundaries has never come easy to Naruto, and most people tend to just accept that he's going to bulldoze right through them, whether he means well or not.

But not Sasuke. Sasuke does not accept anything he does not want to have in his life, and while that riles the blonde since it's usually "relationship taboos" – as far as the romantically disinclined Uchiha is concerned – that Naruto is wanting to push. But this isn't just a relationship boundary. It's a sex boundary. Full on intercourse. With a _guy_. When the blonde is a virgin no matter how you look at it.

Naruto blushes at the thought, darting a quick peek at Sasuke. He's sure the stoic and ever-so confident raven is not a virgin, which honestly does not bother Naruto in the least. If anything, it makes him a bit more comfortable with the theoretical situation. At least someone will know what they're doing.

Accepting that he's fully into guys, or more likely, _one particular guy_ , wasn't the easiest thing for Naruto to do. But once he got past it, well, all bets were off. It was just the other day that the blonde realized his feelings lie deeper than just a sexual attraction. Maybe it should have been obvious from the get-go, but oh well. As it stands, he's in love with Uchiha Sasuke. That much he fully understands.

That does not mean he could bring himself into researching gay sex. The basics he gets; only an idiot wouldn't understand how it would work between two guys. But all the… _particulars_. Well, those, Naruto knows nothing of. And he's relying on Sasuke to be smart enough to take the lead on this one, as he's done with everything else in the past three months. Thank God.

Sure, at the time, it's slightly terrifying when something sexy-new starts happening, since it's a foreign experience. But Naruto can't say he's disliked anything they've done together. But if it had been left up to Naruto, they never would have even got to kissing. The boy is damn good at falling for someone and hanging onto that with loyalty, but acting on it?

Shit, he never even seriously tried to get Sakura to date him. Just threw all his attention at her when she was around and left it at that. Maybe some part of him knew it would be a flat-out rejection if he tried, and he would not have handled that well.

And who would have ever thought that Uchiha Sasuke would show a serious interest? Not Naruto. The blonde would be damned if anyone actually thought he'd put himself out there for the raven, feelings or not. No, nothing would have happened if not for Sasuke and his arrogance.

Naruto grins cheekily. In fact, one could even say Sasuke has digged his own hole with getting the blonde's hopes up and having him fall like a fool. If he had just kept things platonic, he could have saved himself a few headaches and arguments.

But, oh well! What's done is done! In all truth, Naruto is happy with where the cards have fallen. Arguments, differences, and terrifyingly-new experiences included. He wouldn't change anything about the journey because it would probably mess up how far they've come.

Looking at the current situation – taking a hot spring vacation together and actually enjoying each other's company – they've come far. It amazes the blonde when he thinks about it, how different things can be when you give new opportunities and ideas a chance.

Naruto stands up, shivering as the cool air hits his heated skin. Grabbing a towel he'd thrown over the back of a chair earlier, he dries his upper body off to fight off some of the chill. He grimaces when he moves, feeling his soaked boxers move against his skin uncomfortably.

Making a split-second decision, Naruto pushes the offending article down his thighs and kicks them away when they fall with a wet splat onto the floor. It's hard to say whether having them off is better or worse at first, but after he wraps the towel around his hips, Naruto decides it's definitely better.

"Sas, what time is it? Should we start heading down?" Naruto moves towards the raven, unsurprised to see his nose still buried in that book and sits in the chair next to him. Stretching out lazily, he groans in satisfaction before sighing heavily and slumping backwards. "Seriously, hot springs are a gift from the heavens."

"You can always take a hot bath at home."

"It's not the same, teme. I don't have a tub out on the deck, and besides, it wouldn't be half as fun. It's about the experience."

Sasuke does that half-scoff thing he manages to make sound like a legitimate response, and continues reading, though Naruto doesn't miss the flicker of attention he receives at his state of undress.

Grinning, the blonde leans back further and props his legs up on the coffee table, making sure to stretch out just enough that the towel comes loose but doesn't fall off. He might not be experienced, but hell, he's not naïve either. He knows how to garner some attention.

The blonde tilts his head to the side and winks at the blatantly staring Uchiha. That earns him narrowed eyes that quickly morph into a disarming smirk.

Cocking his head to the side, Sasuke shuts his book and keeps his eyes trained on Naruto. "Dobe, are you trying to tempt me?"

Reeling at first from the novelty of seeing Sasuke smirk so suddenly, Naruto clears his throat before firing back with a bright smile and an obvious wiggle of his hips. "And if I am?"

Sasuke stands up, only having to take a step forward to be leaning over the blonde. Tilting his head up, Naruto shivers as the raven's lips ghost over his jaw and across his mouth, not stopping to place even a petal-soft kiss.

"Then you're going to be waiting. It is time to meet the others." As quick as he came, Sasuke pulls back with that ungodly smirk in place. "Get dressed, dobe."

"You know, this," Naruto motions up and down towards himself, "might not always be available. It's bad luck to turn down a willing blonde."

Sasuke scoffs and rolls his eyes. "You'll be just as willing later, I'm sure."

Laughing and nodding his head in slight agreement, Naruto pushes out of the chair and follows the raven into their rooms, securing the towel once more against the obtrusive breeze. Perhaps _Operation Seduce the Uchiha_ will go smoother than planned.

* * *

They set out from the lanai for the northern trail with Naruto and Kiba exuberantly leading the group, despite having no idea where they're really going. That hardly seems to phase the two as they scout out the trail, nearly leaving the others behind in their excitement to explore.

Naruto is struck again by the simple beauty of nature and being in the thick of it. There's something about the lush greenery and the almost claustrophobic comfort that being surrounded by towering fir and pine trees brings to the blonde. He could happily spend all day hiking out here.

Naruto walks under a cluster of moss covered limbs, bent with time and stress. He stares up into the sun-soaked canopy, admiring how the leaves catch the light and seem to glow. Man, he would love to climb the trees and get closer to –

A sharp tug on his arm has his careening into the side of something hard with an "oomph" and a stumble. He jerks his head up and rights himself quickly, ready to tell off whoever threw him off balance. He's beaten to the punch, though, when his assailant speaks first.

"Watch where you're walking, dobe. I'm not carrying you back to the resort if you sprain your ankle by being an idiot." Sasuke drops the blondes arm, shaking his head in exasperation.

"I was looking at the forest!" Naruto sputters irately, pushing to keep up with the now vigorously-paced raven.

"You nearly stepped into a huge hole that would have fucked your ankle."

"Yeah, you're just upset it wasn't you that was doing any fucking," Naruto mutters petulantly under his breath, pursing his lips and huffing despite the heat rushing to his face from the nonchalant shrug and raised eyebrow Sasuke gives him. Almost as if he's saying "yeah, what of it?"

"Hey, you guys, I think we're getting close to the lake." Kiba calls from the front of the group. Sure enough, the sound of rushing water can be faintly heard up some ways, beckoning them to follow just a bit further.

Naruto obliges, moving quickly once more. Sasuke follows behind him, treading carefully in the foreign terrain. They've entered a densely populated area of brush and trees, the path converting from the simple dirt trail to wooden planks. You can't see anything for the trees; the sound of water is the only hint that they're close.

A small break in the clusters of trees and a bright sunbeam up ahead makes Naruto nearly bounce with excitement. And with good reason, he soon finds out.

They emerge from the tree line into one of the most gorgeous sights the blonde has ever seen. It's postcard worthy.

The wooden path continues along a raised expanse of moss-covered rock that splits the lake into two shimmering pools of blue. Tiny waterfalls spill out of the cracks in the rock, bubbling softly as it hits the surface.

To the left, a huge waterfall cascades down the rocky ridge, though it barely disturbs the lake as it meets the still water. The embankment itself is a towering structure of jagged stone, with trees growing at all visible sides.

"If you continue across the strip here, the path leads down into the basin. There's a hot spring down there, and more waterfalls. It's my favorite spot on the entire grounds." Temari speaks loud enough for everyone to hear her over the sound of rushing water, looking fondly at the grounds displayed before her. "The lake is beautiful, but I like the rough waters caused by the falls the most."

"Well, I'm just gonna go ahead and ask," Kiba grins at Naruto, who can already guess what he's going to ask, "are there any ledges we can cannonball into the basin at?"

"No." Temari and Sasuke answer in unison, one glaring at the speaker, and the latter at the blonde who's more than willing to go along with such an idea.

"There are areas deep enough to dive into, but no safe way to get to them. You'd have to go through that." She points to the right, where there's a rather large area of bushes and small trees imbedded in the moss and stone.

At various areas the ground becomes uneven, dropping off slightly as water gushes between the stone fractures. "One wrong step and you'd have your feet cut open on the rocks, or worse, a broken leg from a bad move." She points forward sternly. "Just follow the trail down instead of being an idiot."

Kiba sighs heavily in good humor, shooting her a cockeyed smile. "Alright, in the interest of not breaking bones." The mutt leads the way, holding Hinata's hand as she timidly traverses the wooden planks laid over stone.

It's a winding walk down the embankment and to the basin floor, but the effort is well worth it given the sights along the way.

At the back of the group, Naruto tugs at Sasuke's hand, grinning as he points out various scenery that catches his attention. Rolling his eyes but not dismissing the blonde's interest, Sasuke nods as the blonde gets excited over every little thing.

With a gasp, Naruto tightens his grip on the raven's hand, tugging enthusiastically to draw his attention towards a small pool. "Lookit, Sas! There are so many frogs right there!"

Sure enough, there are red frogs nested in a shallow pool created by the run-off water from a larger stream. Naruto flashes another bright smile as he continues to sight-see on the way down, immersed in the beautiful landscape and what it has to offer.

"Shit, that's cold!" A bubbling laugh and a splash have Naruto jerking his head around to see what the commotion is, a laugh tumbling from his lips as he watches the scene.

Kiba decided to take the plunge the moment he hit the bottom of the path, jumping into the nearest pool and splashing Hinata and Temari. Giggles erupt from the girls and Hinata timidly joins her boyfriend.

"Come on, Naruto. You can freeze your ass off as well." Kiba laughs energetically, continuing to splash the girls and anyone close enough. With a grin, Naruto speeds up to join the mutt, not letting go of Sasuke's hand. The raven shakes his head minutely as he's dragged along to the bottom of the trail.

"Swimming in the middle of March is not your brightest idea, dobe."

Naruto laughs and gives Sasuke's hand a squeeze. "I figured you'd say none of my ideas are good ones." The blonde tosses a smile over his shoulder. "Besides, there are hot spring pools, right? We can warm back up in one of them."

"Yes, so we can still catch colds from being wet on the trek home."

"So, then we can laze about with the sniffles all vacation together. Still a win."

"Hardly my idea of a good time."

Naruto bites out a laugh. "Teme, your idea of a good time is total isolation and a book."

Sasuke hums auspiciously to that, not confirming nor denying the statement but seeming quite pleased with the concept.

"Just come in with me, okay?" Naruto turns a full-blown pout onto the raven, who scoffs at the sight. Quickly breaking into a grin, the blonde tugs his shirt off, waving to Kiba that he'd be there in a moment.

Sasuke follows suit, taking shit shirt off and folding it on top of Naruto's. "Go play, dobe. Get it out of your system before I strangle you."

"You'd miss me too much."

"Don't count on it."

With a sly grin, Naruto glances at the group to make sure no one is watching them. Positive the coast is clear, he pushes Sasuke till he's just behind a tree and kisses him hard and quick, pulling back with a satisfied smile. "I'm happy you're here."

Not giving the raven time to say anything – whether it be positive or sarcastic – Naruto steps backwards and turns away, quickly moving and jumping into the cold water. A shout and more giggles erupt from the few people that get splashed, and Kiba immediately pulls him under again upon surfacing.

They continue to play for awhile before growing a bit too numb for comfort and make their way to one of the hot spring pools instead. Everyone moves off in their own direction, many areas to explore and relax in. Nearly everyone here is a couple, so it doesn't surprise Naruto that they all want a bit of privacy.

Himself included.

With that thought, he begins to look around for his raven who has been silent and invisible during his time in the water, wondering where he could have slipped off to.

Naruto looks around for a moment, growing more confused and anxious with each second he doesn't spot Sasuke. He wouldn't have up and left on his own, right? The blonde bites his lip worriedly, still searching.

A small disruption in a nearby spring catches Naruto's attention. The steamy water has a waterfall gently cascading into it, mixing the natural spring with the cool lake. It's the fall that was disturbed, and the blonde can now see why.

With a quirk of his lips and a subtle beckon of his hand, Sasuke motions for the blonde to come to him. The raven disappears under the gushing waterfall, not waiting to see if he's being followed.

Though, does he really need confirmation? Sasuke had the boy coming to him when that sinful smirk fell in place.

The water is comfortably warm despite the mixture of cold. Naruto welcomes the balminess as it washes over and replaces the chill. Slipping under the waterfall leads him to a curved outlet in the rock. It twists just enough that the sunlight on the other side does not pass through the wide tunnel. Going through it takes him to a small, circular hidden pool, mostly covered by the rocky outcropping of the tunnel. The center of the pool is illuminated by the sunlight, while the outsides are cast in shadows.

The object of Naruto's affections is sitting on a stone ledge in those shadows, barely submerged in a pool of water. Naruto can't help but smile as he thinks back to that January morning when he found Sasuke reclining on the bleachers in roughly the same position.

Except now, the blonde sees it as less of an icon for cool as he does an icon for sex.

"How did you find this?" Naruto wades over to the raven, coming to stand between his outstretched legs. The water in this little cove is chillier than what would be comfortable, but it's hardly a concern to the blonde.

"By chance." Sasuke flicks his fingers over the blonde's hipbones, pulling him closer.

With a grin of his own, Naruto leans down to barely graze his lips against the ravens, flicking his tongue gently over the boy's bottom lip teasingly before pulling back.

A hand leaves the blondes waist to curl around the nape of is neck, pressing him into a hard kiss that lacks any gentleness. With an approving moan, Naruto brings his legs to rest on either side of Sasuke, allowing him a better position to thoroughly ravish the ravens mouth and neck.

Deciding to return the favor, Sasuke lightly pulls Naruto's head back while coaxing him to arch his spine, leaving the boy taunt in front of him. With a self-satisfied smirk, the raven begins trailing teeth and lips down the column of Naruto's neck as his hands begin a slow glide over his waist.

The blonde can't help but shiver from the combination of warm water, cold air, nerves, and pleasure. He finds himself impulsively grinding onto Sasuke's lap, earning a moan from each boy.

"Did you drag me back here with the intentions of seducing me?" Naruto manages to ask breathlessly through kisses.

"As I recall, you're the one who started straddling me."

"Mmh," Naruto hums in agreement as the raven grinds his hips upwards in sync with his words. "You tempted me, though."

Sasuke roughly kneads the blonde's ass while they continue to grind against each other. "That's a point in my favor."

Naruto grins into their kiss. Damn right it is. Not wasting anymore time when both of them are already so hard it hurts, the blonde slides his hand into the raven's shorts and firmly grasps his length.

Letting a muffled sigh slip through his controlled façade, Sasuke nips at the blonde's lower lip before dragging him into another heated kiss. A pale hand follows Naruto's example and finds it way to the edge of the blonde' shorts, dragging them roughly down.

Enthusiastically, Naruto helps with a hand of his own, while letting go of Sasuke's length to give him the same treatment. The raven jerks his hips up and off the rocky ledge, giving Naruto some room to slide the shorts down.

Despite the chill of the water, the boys are far too lost to their desire and hormones to lose any momentum in their activities. Moaning appreciatively when Sasuke's hand finds its way around his cock, Naruto happily returns to his previous ministrations with a matching pace.

Nothing short of someone traipsing though that waterfall would get Naruto off the raven's lap or his slick palm from between his legs. The blonde can't remember ever being this turned on, and vaguely wonders if being outside has something to do with it.

He'll have to look into that later.

For now, he lets himself get lost in the feel of the boy beneath him. Warm, flushed skin that's covered in tiny beads of water. The rough fabric of their shorts scratching against his thighs.

And what turns Naruto on most is how absolutely responsive Sasuke is. Heavy and thick in his palm, the blonde can't help the shivers of delight every time the raven twitches in his hand.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end – literally. Within seconds of each other, both boys are spent into the other's palm, breathing heavily and shaking from the onslaught of their orgasms.

Naruto laughs huskily, his breath catching in his throat as he comes off his high. "Thank God for the waterfall, or I'm sure everyone would have heard us."

"Heard you, dobe. I know how to keep my voice down."

"Yeah, we'll have to work on that."

"Don't," Sasuke says with a faint smirk and a kiss. "It's one of the few good uses of your mouth."

Naruto laughs, sliding himself off raven's lap and righting his shorts. "Whatever, teme. You love my mouth for all uses, not just the sexy ones." The blonde leans down and steals one more quick kiss. "Come on, we've been here for a while. It's probably time to head back."

Not caring if they're seen walking out of a hidden cove together, the boys make their way towards the group collection near the shore, sharing a secret smile before reaching their none-the-wiser friends.

The hike back to the resort is filled with laughter and grumbling stomachs. Everyone is happy to agree to a dinner rendezvous – well, except Sasuke, but when does he do anything social happily?

Splitting up, each group heads in a different direction to get dressed and return to the center lanai just as dusk begins to set.

Naruto and Sasuke casually stroll along the path leading from their cabin to the main resort, freshly clothed and wonderfully dry. The raven with his hands in his pockets and a faint smirk at whatever nonsenses he's listening to. And the blonde with his arm linked through Sasuke's, laughing and telling some inane story.

"Look at the happy couple." A mockingly sugar-coated voice calls from behind them.

"Shut up, Midori." Both boys berate simultaneously. Naruto is better-natured about it, earning a laugh from the girl.

Midori and Sai merge onto their path, walking side by side. The little blonde waves as the four meet up on the main path. "You look good." She gives a wry smile to each of them, though her smirk is reserved for Naruto.

Ignoring her comment, Naruto motions for her and Sai to keep walking with them. "You coming to dinner? You missed the earlier get-together."

"Oooh, are we invited?"

"So long as you behave." Naruto states pointedly, giving the girl a sharp look.

She smiles sweetly but neither confirms nor refutes his stipulation.

The lanai is, simply put, gorgeous in the nighttime. Paper lanterns of various sizes are strung up around the wooden beams, and small candles sit in three around the cozy tables.

Naruto can see with one glance around the lanai that this will be a far more private gathering than brunch. All the couples have chosen to sit at the smaller tables rather than at one of the larger group tables.

It makes the blonde smile to see everyone content and happy with their respective partner. Hell, even Choji is sitting with a pretty dark-skinned girl. She's unfamiliar to Naruto – certainly not from their school. She stands out with her auburn hair and pointed features, the kind of girl you expect to see in a lively group of preppy kids. But she's animatedly talking to the shy boy, who seems quite pleased with the attention.

"Well, this looks like a romantic setting." Midori remarks casually. "As much as I enjoy your company, Naruto, I'm gonna have to pass in favor of my boy."

Naruto waves her off. "Go for it."

"And you have fun with your boy. I think you can get away with being sweet on each other tonight. No one is paying any attention." She winks along with a wicked grin, steering Sai towards an empty table before either boy can reply.

"I swear, that girl can be a nuisance." Naruto tsk's, though there's a grin of his own plastered to his face and no vehemence to the words.

"She's like the female version of you, just more sarcastic." Sasuke offers in response as he stalks off towards a secluded table towards the back, Naruto's arm still linked with his.

"Is that a compliment?"

Sasuke huffs quietly. "One Naruto is enough."

"I hope I'm the one you choose to keep around." The blonde tilts his head to the side and gives a cheeky grin, laughing as the raven rolls his eyes in answer.

It's not until they've sat down that Naruto takes stock of their surroundings and notes the suspicious lack of a buffet or anything resembling 'serve yourself'.

"So, do they have waitresses here, or what?" Naruto asks in a hushed whisper, skeptically glancing around the lanai.

"A waiter, actually. My name is Kankuro." A guy, no more than a few years older than the blonde, says as he approaches from behind. "What can I get you to drink?"

"Um, sweet tea, please." Naruto replies hastily, not liking the no-nonsense look the brunette is giving him.

Sasuke barely gives the boy a speck of attention. "Just water."

"Alright. Here are some menus to look over while I'm gone." He hands them each a simple but attractive one-sheet menu that is filled front and back.

"I'm really surprised with this place. It's not what I was expecting, but in a good way."

"I too am pleased with the quality. Temari's family has done well."

Naruto smiles widely. "Be sure to tell her that. I bet her mouth will fall open from a compliment comin' from the stoic Uchiha."

Sasuke looks like he's about to say something but closes his mouth with a small smirk instead. "Did you have fun today?"

The blonde nods excitedly. "We've gotta hike the other trails while we're here. And I definitely want to go back to the lake and the hot springs."

"I'm sure you do."

"Shut up, teme. I didn't mean it like that."

Sasuke smiles softly, casting a brief glance away from his menu and to the blonde. "You aren't opposed to that interpretation."

"That's beside the point."

The raven mutters something under his breath but doesn't push the topic further. Kankuro comes over not long after to take their orders, leaving them to their own devices once more.

"Are you ready for games to start up? Kiba won't shut his mouth about it."

"I'll be happy when the season is over, and I can focus on more important things."

"Like what, extra studying?"

"Yes. We start university in five months."

Naruto scoffs, suddenly going sour. "Speak for yourself."

"You'll get a reply soon."

There's no guarantee that they'll say yes."

Sasuke tsk's and rolls his eyes, not agreeing with the blonde's opinion. "I helped you with the applications and Kakashi gave you a recommendation. There's no reason they won't."

"Not being arrogant at all, huh?" Naruto laughs, flashing a white-teethed smile. To be completely honest, the blonde has been growing more worried by the day. It's already mid-March and there's been no replies. If he doesn't get in, he can still work at Java's, but he highly doubts it will even be enough to cover bills, should he move out, even if it became fulltime.

Which would mean a different job – likely in one of the factories littering the city – or another service job or two on top of the bakery.

Having a degree won't automatically give him a shit-ton of money, he knows that. But it certainly couldn't hurt.

"Stop thinking so hard, dobe. You'll hurt yourself." Sasuke reaches a hand out, gently squeezing the boy's wrist. "It will be fine."

"You gonna write the school an angry letter if I don't get accepted?"

The corner of Sasuke's mouth tips in a half smile. "Of course. They'll owe me an explanation."

Interrupting their conversation is the arrival of their food, much to Naruto's pleasure. It feels like ages since they last ate this afternoon.

"Alright, so-" Naruto poises his fork, "we went for a hike and a very nice swim. I played in the hot tub earlier. Do you have any after-dinner plans?"

Pausing with his fork hallway to his mouth, Sasuke stares incredulously across the table. "Are you blatantly propositioning me?"

"What?!" Naruto sputters, his own fork clattering to his plate as he stares in shock across the table. "Did I what?!"

Sasuke shrugs his shoulders, taking a bite and swallowing before speaking again. "It sounded like a come-on to me."

"Well… well! It wasn't, okay? It was an innocent question." Mostly. _Maybe_ the blonde was trying to get a feel for where the night is headed. Still. _Mostly_ innocent.

"Nothing about you has been innocent all day."

"You're one to talk," Naruto mutters before chomping down on a mouthful of food.

"I do have plans for tonight." Sasuke continues, unperturbed. "They depend on another party, though."

Managing to not choke on his food, the blonde looks up with narrowed eyes, attempting to determine if he's being messed with. "What's that mean?"

"It means I'm not the only one with a say-so in what happens tonight, dobe."

Oh. _Oh._ "But, um, your say in the matter, is-ah, a yes?"

Sasuke smirks ever so slightly. "For now. Depends on what happens between then and now."

Naruto scoffs. "Considering we're in the middle of dinner and then going back to the room, I don't expect a whole lot to happen. Unless you want it to be a live show."

"I'm amazed you're not dying from embarrassment just saying that line."

Well, Naruto couldn't refute him on that. His face did light up like a match the moment the words tumbled out of his mouth, where he wishes he could just shove them right back in. "The point is," the blonde states roughly, "is that not much can happen between then and now."

Sasuke shakes his head carefully. "You can always change your mind in a split second. An agreement now does not mean an agreement later." The raven studies his partner seriously, as if trying to see if some message is getting across.

"Teme, when have I ever changed my mind on you in a way that meant I was backing out?" Naruto smiles in sincerity. "I'm good with where we stand, and where we're heading. You don't gotta worry about that."

"Then to directly answer your question, yes, we have after-dinner plans." Sasuke smiles – an honest, full lip-tilt smile, before glancing back down and continuing to his meal. If Naruto wasn't sold on jumping into bed with him before, he sure as hell is now.

* * *

They walk back to the lodging in amicable silence, hands clasped once more as they listen to the chirping of the nightlife. There's no one else to be seen on the trail, lulling Naruto into a sense of security and ease while at Sasuke's side.

It's not until they're outside the door to their room that the blonde manages to buck up enough courage to ask a pivotal question for the night. Naruto clears his throat awkwardly, wanting the raven's attention. He rubs his palm against the back of his neck, trying to gain some comfort before diving into the deep end here. "Um, do you want to shower with me?"

Sasuke nods, walking over to steal a kiss. Pulling back, he rests his hand along the blonde's jawline, stroking his thumb soothingly along a tanned cheek. "Naruto, how far are you willing to take this?"

The blonde's breath hitches in his throat as he pulls back from Sasuke, taking in the boy's serious expression.

He answers with more ease and certainty than he thought to be capable of. "As far as you want, Sas."

The raven nods and gives him another quick kiss before unlocking the door. He immediately walks over to his bags. "Go ahead and get the shower ready. I'll be there in a moment."

Not wasting any time to follow that order, Naruto moves into the spacious bathroom quickly, leans against the sink and tries to calm his rapid heartbeat. They're really going to do this. Well and truly.

Deep breathes.

In an attempt to still himself, the blonde rapidly removes his clothes, dropping them into a neat pile on the floor before stepping into the large shower stall. He turns the handle all the way to hot and fires up the showerhead.

It's not long after that Sasuke comes into the room, holding some items. "What do you got?" Naruto asks suspiciously, eyeing the blurry boxes through the frosted glass in Sasuke's hands.

"Things to help." He replies simply, setting the items on the sink counter.

"Help? Help what?"

Sasuke sighs, growing irate with the line of questioning. "Help to adjust. Just be quiet, dobe, and go with it unless you're uncomfortable."

Naruto scoffs. If those items are to 'help' with what he's imagining, there's no way it won't be uncomfortable.

Breathing in deep as he hears boxes being opened, Naruto closes his eyes and tries to relax under the scalding stream of water. There is nothing to be nervous about, he tries to reassure himself. Sasuke knows what he's doing, right?

… Right? Oh, fuck, this could be a disaster. The onset of renewed panic has the blondes voice shaking slightly as he speaks. "Sas, I'm honestly running blind here. I have no idea what to do or-"

Sasuke cuts him off by sliding the glass door open and pulling the wet blonde into a hard kiss, stopping the worried rant spilling from his lips. "I know, dobe. Just follow my lead."

Naruto nods mutely, more than happy to relinquish control on this endeavor. This is a first for him – no matter how you look at it. For both of their sakes and enjoyment, he hopes the raven has some idea or practice on the endeavor.

Stepping back towards the wall, Naruto slides slick palms along the raven's sides as he joins him in the shower. Naruto hears the soft clatter of items being sat down on the ledge behind him, but doesn't turn around to see what they are. He can already imagine.

"Do you trust me?" Sasuke runs his hands down the blondes back and over his ass, gently squeezing before letting go and working his way back up again.

"You know I do, teme." Naruto breaths shallowly, nervous as hell but excited beyond his wildest expectations. The Uchiha just manages to have that effect.

"Okay," he all but whispers, "just work with me and keep relaxed, okay?"

Naruto can only nod in agreement. His hands tighten on the raven's hips at the peculiar sensation of pressure against his ass. He tenses momentarily, shying away from the probing finger, before calming down ever so slightly.

He shivers from the cool hand that rubs circles along his back in an attempt to offer comfort. Timidly, he leans forward and places chaste kisses along the raven's jaw, smiling when Sasuke eagerly catches his mouth in a rough graze of teeth and lips.

Too caught up in a battle of dominance with their tongues, Naruto doesn't hear the subtle click of a bottle cap, and he barely notes the increased pressure against his hole. Without warning, Sasuke slips a finger into the blonde, earning a startled gasp. It doesn't hurt, not at all like he expected. But it does border on uncomfortable.

"Sas, it's strange." The blonde complains with a tinge of whining, rotating his hips slightly as if that will accustom him to the intrusion.

The raven actually has the audacity to chuckle. "Did you expect it to be anything else?" He asks softly, nipping at a sensitive bit of skin on Naruto's neck. He gently begins moving deeper into the blonde, before pulling away and pushing back in slowly and repeatedly.

"Now that this isn't new to you-"

"It's still extremely new-"

"I'm going to move on. Relax."

Seriously, 'relax' is not the easiest thing to do right now. As much as he's into this, it's still a very strange sensation. "Can, I, um, touch you?"

Not stuttering in his movements, Sasuke nods against the blonde's neck, trailing his free hand around to Naruto's cock, where he begins a teasing pump in unison with his other ministrations.

Hesitantly, as if it's the first time he's been intimate with the raven, Naruto slides his hand along the inside of Sasuke's thigh, timidly moving towards his target. With a shallow breath, he glances down between their bodies, enthralled at the sight of his hand coming to grasp the raven's length.

It's at this moment that said boy chooses to remove himself from the blonde. Stiffening in mild surprise at the sudden feeling of emptiness, Naruto tightens his hand around Sasuke's shaft, pausing in his motion as he waits for Sasuke to continue.

Sasuke runs his hands along Naruto's back soothingly, giving him a series of drawn out kisses before slightly turning away from the blonde. The sound of a bottle being popped open does not go unnoticed by the boy this time, nor does the studious expression on the raven's face as he prepares for…

Well, Naruto isn't exactly sure. But he can tell from the flicker of slight anticipation in Sasuke's eyes that something new is going to happen. And no amount of nerves could make Naruto not be turned on by that look of want on the raven's face.

"Alright," Sasuke whispers, pulling Naruto tightly against him, making the blonde relinquish his grip on the raven's cock. "Work with me."

Once again, there is pressure against Naruto's hole, but it's different – softer and smooth as compared to Sasuke's finger. And bigger. Definitely bigger. The blonde moans in both protest and surprise but doesn't stop the raven from continuing to gently push against him.

Sasuke hooks a hand under Naruto's thigh, pulling his leg upwards to rest against his hip. "Stay here, dobe, it'll be easier."

Doing as he's told, the blonde leaves his leg hooked around Sasuke's waist, placing both hands on the boy's shoulders to stabilize himself. As he begins to feel the well-lubed toy enter him, he moans in surprised pleasure at the sensation of it, along with Sasuke's sudden return to playing with his cock.

Within just a few seconds, the invasive toy pops into place, quite literally. Naruto instinctively clenches around it, shivering at the feeling of being full. Sasuke brings his hands to rest on Naruto's hips, giving him an arrogant half smile. "Alright, now it's time to shower."

The blonde deadpans, eyes narrowing in disbelief at the boy. "Do you want me to kill you?"

That gorgeous smile settles on the raven's face for just a moment, before he's physically turning the blonde around so that his back is facing him. "Trust me, you already are. Now, angle the shower head to hit further back."

With no lack of grumbling, Naruto does as instructed, though he's secretly pleased with the feeling of hot water running down his back once again. During their activities, they had both been out of the stream of water, though the room has no lack of heat to it. Steam has built up on any available surface that can maintain it. And maybe it's just Naruto, but his entire being feels on fire.

It's all the blonde can do to keep himself from groaning when he feels slick palms delve into his sopping wet locks, lathering a spicy scented shampoo through his hair. Naruto lets himself get lost in the feeling of Sasuke's hands while acclimatizing himself to the foreign object inside him.

It's not unpleasant in the least, he realizes, now that he's calmed down. Thank god they didn't rush into doing this, or he might have panicked. But as it is, he can safely say he is fine with this. And if he's fine with this, then certainly having Sasuke in its place…

An onslaught of shivers runs up his back at the thought, brining a moan with it. The raven pauses in his lathering, though Naruto isn't sure if it's from fear of something being wrong or not.

"Teme, don't stop."

Instead of responding, Sasuke drops one hand from Naruto's hair and down to the base of the toy, rotating it ever so slightly. "Is it good?"

Naruto breathes in deeply, closing his eyes and willing himself to not move backwards against him. "Fuck you, Sasuke. You know damn well it is."

Soft laughter and petal soft kisses to his shoulder is the only response he gets as the raven returns to his hair, washing the product out with massaging motions. After he's satisfied that it's all gone, Sasuke spins Naruto back around to face him, catching him in a rough kiss. "Are you ready, dobe?"

Naruto smiles shyly at his lover, not from nerves or awkwardness with the situation, but from the absolute intimacy he feels from what Sasuke is asking him. He presses a chaste kiss to the raven's lips, pulling back and stepping out of the shower. "Come on, teme. There are other things you gotta teach me tonight."

* * *

 **Authors Note :** Please don't hate me. Lol. I promise this exact scene will pick up at the start of next chapter!

Also, I apologize for taking… half a year? Almost a full year? To publish a new chapter. I haven't been in a particularly imaginative mood, and I just wasn't feeling this one for some reason and it took everything I had to push through the writer's block. So, I also apologize if this chapter felt clunky, choppy, or just not well put together. I finally just gave up tinkering with it and posted it. So, I hope it meets minimum expectations, and I'll try to not take another ten months to post another chapter.


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